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BV  4241  .B68  1892 
Boston  University.  Alpha 

Chapter . 
Boston  homilies 


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Boston  Homilies 


SHORT  SERMONS  ON  THE  INTERNATIONAL 
SUNDAY-SCHOOL  LESSONS  FOR  1892 


BV  a\T EMBERS   OF    THE  ALPHA    CHAPTER    OF  THE 
CONVOCATION  OF  BOSTON  UNIVERSITY 


SECOND   SERIES 


NEW  YORK:  HUNT  (Sr*  EATON 

CINCINNATI:    CRANSTON  &'  STOWE 

i8qi 


Copyright,  1891,  by 

HUNT    &    EATON, 

New  York. 


INTRODUCTION. 


In  preparing  this  volume  the  aim  has  been  to  fur- 
nish Sunday-school  teachers  and  older  scholars  with 
brief  exegetical  and  illustrative  studies  of  the  Sunday- 
school  lessons  for  the  ensuing  year.  The  contributors 
are  members  of  the  Alpha  Chapter  of  Boston  University, 
chosen  from  a  wide  range  of  territory,  and  from  as 
many  classes  as  possible.  It  is  hoped  that  their  work 
will  not  be  entirely  in  vain. 

Fred.  H.  Knight, 
Edward  M.  Taylor, 
William  I.  Haven, 
Editors. 


CONTENTS. 


FIRST  QUARTER. 

LESSON  PAGE 

I.  The  Kingdom  of  Christ.     Isa.  xi,  i-io.     J.  W.  Bashford.     ii 
II.  A  Song  of  Salvation.     Isa.  xxvi,  i-io.      George  Shaw 

Butters 20 

III.  Overcome  with  Wine.     Isa.  xxviii,  1-13.     W.  H.  Mere- 

dith       27 

IV.  Hezekiah's  Prayer  and  Deliverance.     Isa.  xxxvii,  14-21, 

33-38.     Davis  W.  Clark 35 

V.  The  Suffering  Saviour.     Isa.  liii,  1-12.     W.  I.  Haven..     41 
VI.  The  Gracious  Call.      Isa.  Iv,  1-13.     William  E.  Hunt- 
ington       49 

VII.  The    New    Covenant.      Jer.    xxxi,    27-37.      Wilbur    S. 

Smithers 57 

VIII.  Jehoiakim's  Wickedness.     Jer.  xxxvi,  19-31.     J.  E.  Jack- 

lin 66 

IX.  Jeremiah  Persecuted.     Jer.  xxxvii,  11-21.      James  Har- 
rison Humphrey 75 

X.  The  Downfall  of  Judah.     Jer.  xxxix,  i-io.     Walter  J. 

Yates 85 

XI.  Promise  of  a  New  Heart.      Ezek.  xxxvi,  25-38.     Alex- 
ander Dight 93 

XIII.  The  Blessings  of  the  Gospel.     Isa.  xl,  i-io.     Stephen 

L.  Baldwin loi 

SECOND  QUARTER. 
I.  The  Way  of  the  Righteous.      Psa.  i,  1-6.      Samuel  L. 

Beiler 113 

II.  The  King  in  Zion.     Psa.  ii,  1-12.     J.  S.   Davis 121 


6  CONTENTS. 

LESSON  PAGE 

III.  God's  Works  and  Word.      Psa.  xix,  1-14.     George  A. 

Phinney 129 

IV.  The  Lord  My  Shepherd.     Psa.  xxiii,  1-6.     I.  Simmons..   138 
V.  The  Prayer  of  the  Penitent.     Psa.  li,  1-13.     B.  P.  Ray- 
mond    146 

VI.  Delight  in  God's  House.     Psa.  Ixxxiv,  1-12.     Fred.  H. 

Knight 154 

VII.  A  Song  of  Praise.     Psa.    ciii,    1-22.     Katharine  Lente 

Stevenson '. 163 

VIII.  Daniel  and  His  Companions.     Dan.  i,  8-21.     M.  D.  Horn- 
beck 171 

IX.  Nebuchadnezzar's  Dream.     Dan.  ii,  36-49.     Nicholas  T. 

Whitaker 182 

X.  The  Fiery  Furnace.     Dan.  iii,  13-25.     Henry  A.  Starks.   190 

XI.  The  Den  of  Lions.     Dan.  vi,  16-28.     John  P.  Otis 198 

XIII.  Messiah's  Reign.     Psa.  Ixxii,  1-19.     W.  G.  Richardson.  .  205 

THIRD  QUARTER. 

I.  The  Ascension  of  Christ.    Acts  i,  1-12.    J.  W.  Hamilton.  217 
II.  The  Descent  of  the  Spirit.     Acts  ii,  1-12.     Marcus  D. 

BuELL 225 

III.  The  First  Christian  Church.     Acts  ii,  37-47.     William 

F.  McDowell 234 

IV.  The   Lame   Man    Healed.      Acts   iii,    1-16.      Wilbur   P. 

Thirkield 244 

V.  Peter  and  John   Before  the   Council.     Acts  iv,   1-18. 

Joel  M.  Leonard 254 

VI.  The  Apostles'  Confidence  in  God.     Acts  iv,  19-31.    John 

D.  Pickles 262 

VII.  Ananias  and  Sapphira.      Acts  v,    r-ii.     Gilbert  C.  Os- 
good   269 

VIII.  The  Apostles  Persecuted.     Acts  v,  25-41.     J.  A.  Story.  278 
IX.  The  First  Christian  Martyr.     Acts  vii,  54-60  ;  viii,  1-4. 

J.  H.  Allen 286 


CONTENTS.  7 

LESSON  PAGB 

X.  Philip  Preaching  at  Samaria.     Acts  viii,  5-25.     H.  H. 

Clark 294 

XI.  Philip  and  the  Ethiopian.     Acts  viii,  26-40.     E.  M.  Tay- 
lor    303 

XIII.  The  Lord's  Supper,     i  Cor.  xi,  23-32.     R.  C.  Glass 314 

FOURTH  QUARTER. 
I.  Saul  of  Tarsus  Converted.     Acts  ix,  1-20.     A.  W.  Tir- 

RELL 325 

II.  Dorcas  Raised  to  Life.     Acts  ix,   32-43.     J.   M.   Dur- 

RELL 331 

III.  Peter's  Vision.     Acts  x,  1-20.     R.  T.  Stevenson 339 

IV.  Peter  at  Cesarea.     Acts  x,  30-48.     George  W.  Brown..  348 
V.  The  Gospel  Preached  at  Antioch.     Acts  xi,  19-30.     H. 

H.  French 355 

VI.  Peter  Delivered  from  Prison.     Acts  xii,  1-17.     Joseph 

Pullman 364 

VII.  The  First  Christian  Missionaries.    Acts  xiii,  1-13.     M. 

F.  CoLBURN 373 

VIII.  Paul's  First  Missionary   Sermon.  Acts  xiii,  26-43.   James 

MUDGE 381 

IX.  The   Apostles   Turning   to   the   Gentiles.      Acts    xiii, 

44-52  ;  xiv,  1-7.    J.  D.  Spriggs 389 

X.  Work  Among  the  Gentiles.     Acts  xiv,  8-22.     Raymond 

F.  Holw^ay 397 

XI.  The  Apostolic  Council.     Acts  xv,  12-29.     H.  C.  Shel- 
don   406 

XIII.  The  Birth  of  Christ.     Luke  ii,  8-20.     John  Faville.  . .  415 
XIII.  A  Lesson  in  Self-Denial.     Rom.  xiv,    12-23.     J.  Weare 

Dearborn 422 

Note. — For  the  quarterly  review  lessons  no  homilies  have  been  prepared. 
Homilies  are  given  for  the  alternative  lessons  of  the  last  Sunday  in  the  year. 


FIRST   QUARTER. 


BOSTON   HOMILIES. 


I. 

THE  KINGDOM  OF  CHRIST. 

Isa.  xi,  i-io. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— He  shall  have  dominion  also  fronn  sea  to  sea, 
and  fronn  the  river  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth.     Psa.  Ixxii,  8. 

Our  lesson  should  be  considered  under  three  heads : 

1.  The  Prophet. 

2.  The  Circumstances  Attending  the  Prophecy. 

3.  The  Prophecy. 

I.  The  Prophet  Isaiah  prophesied  between  758  and  690 
B.  C.  His  call  is  narrated  in  the  sixth  chapter.  Proba- 
bly that  chapter  is  the  story  of  Isaiah's  conversion,  as 
well  as  of  his  call  to  the  ministry.  It  consists  of  four 
parts:  (i)  The  vision  of  God  in  his  holiness.  (2)  The 
deep  conviction  of  the  seer's  sinfulness  as  the  result  of 
this  vision.  God  sometimes  smites  us  with  conviction 
by  showing  us  ideal  purity,  rather  than  by  dwelling  upon 
our  sinfulness.  Flash  ideals  before  noble  souls,  flash 
consequences  before  the  base,  if  you  would  produce  con- 
viction. Dr.  Stalker,  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  these 
hints  in  regard  to  Isaiah's  spiritual  life,  thinks  the  proph- 
et may  have  been  very  sinful  in  his  youth,  like  Bunyan 
or  Augustine.     I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  presenta- 


12  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

tion  of  the  heavenly  vision  to  Isaiah  and  his  immediate 
obedience  to  the  call  indicate  that,  like  Paul,  he  was 
already  struggling  for  an  ideal  life.  (3)  Water  and  fire 
are  the  two  symbols  of  cleansing  in  the  Bible,  as  they 
are  the  two  agents  for  cleansing  in  nature.  Fire  is  far 
more  thorough  and  is  used  in  purifying  metals.  So  the 
touching  of  Isaiah's  lips  with  the  live  coal  was  the  symbol 
of  his  purification.  (4)  Unhesitating  obedience,  even 
eagerness  to  be  God's  messenger,  follows  the  prophet's 
cleansing. 

Isaiah  is  the  St.  John  of  the  Old  Testament.  One 
might  almost  call  him  the  St.  John  and  the  St.  Paul  of 
the  old  dispensation  ;  for  to  the  lofty  insight  and  the 
spiritual  nature  of  the  former  he  unites  the  practical  and 
statesmanlike  traits  of  the  latter.  The  richness  of  his 
style  makes  him  the  Shakespeare  among  the  prophets. 
Ewald  says  in  substance  that  he  is  not  specially  lyric,  like 
Joel,  or  elegiac,  like  Hosea,  or  monitory,  like  Micah  ;  but 
every  style  is  at  his  command,  and  this  constitutes  his 
greatness.  His  fundamental  peculiarity  is  his  majestic 
repose  of  style  proceeding  from  the  full  and  sure  com- 
mand of  the  subject.  It  is  not  possible  that  Hezekiah's 
good  reign  was  a  coarse  transcript  of  the  glowing  vision 
of  this  man  of  God. 

2.  The  Circumstances  Attending  the  Prophecy.  Pales- 
tine lies  between  Assyria,  Babylon,  Media,  and  Persia  on 
the  one  side,  and  Egypt,  Greece,  and  Rome  on  the 
other.  She  was  the  highway  for  the  commerce  and  the 
conquests  of  the  world  for  a  thousand  years.    In  739  B.  C 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  CHRIST.  13 

the  northern  kingdom  became  subject  to  Assyria,  and  in 
727  it  attempted  to  throw  off  the  Assyrian  yoke  through 
an  alliance  with  Egypt.  Samaria  was  then  invaded  by 
Sargon  and  subjected  in  722.  Judah  4ay  apparently  at 
the  mercy  of  Assyria  when  the  prophecy  was  uttered, 
between  722  and  720. 

The  prophet  advised  the  policy  of  strict  neutrality  be- 
tween the  two  great  kingdoms  of  Assyria  and  Egypt, 
with  the  righteous  fulfillment  of  all  obligations  upon  the 
part  of  Judah,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  and  a  firm  re- 
liance upon  Jehovah  as  her  providential  defender.  In 
case  of  invasion,  which,  indeed,  the  prophet  anticipated 
by  reason  of  national  sin,  Isaiah  advised  submission. 
Neutrality  was  the  only  wise  course  if  Judah  would  es- 
cape desolation.  If  an  alliance  were  made  with  either 
party  Judah  would  be  first  exposed  to  the  attack  of  the 
opposing  kingdom.  This  policy  of  neutrality  in  modern 
times  has  saved  Belgium,  Holland,  and  Switzerland, 
lying  between  strong  nations.  The  prophet,  however, 
recognized  that  the  real  safety  of  Judah  consisted  not 
only  in  freedom  from  entangling  alliances,  but  in  the 
performance  of  the  divine  tasks  committed  to  her.  God 
would  then  guarantee  her  safety,  because  she  would  then 
be  doing  her  providential  work.  What  better  defense  of 
a  weak  nation  can  modern  statesmen  suggest  than  free- 
dom from  entangling  alliances,  a  righteous  discharge  of 
all  obligations,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  the  fulfillment 
of  her  providential  mission,  and  a  reliance  upon  the 
Upholder  of  nations  ? 


U  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

The  older  prophets  had  declared  that  Judah  would 
be  overthrown  by  reason  of  her  sins,  and  only  a  remnant 
be  saved.  They  had  also  declared  that  Jehovah's  king- 
dom would  triumph.  Isaiah  adds  two  additional  elements 
to  the  prophecies  of  his  predecessors,  namely :  the  king- 
dom will  be  established  by  a  personal  Messiah ;  this 
Messiah  will  draw  all  nations  unto  him,  so  that  the  call 
to  salvation  will  become  universal  and  Judah's  privi- 
leges will  be  extended  to  all.  A  personal  Messiah  and 
the  spiritual  equality  of  all  nations  is  Isaiah's  special 
contribution  to  the  world. 

3.  The  PropJiecy.  After  foretelling  that  the  Messiah 
will  come  from  Jesse  the  prophet  thus  characterizes  him  : 
"The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  shall  rest  upon  him,  the  spirit 
of  wisdom  and  understanding,  the  spirit  of  counsel  and 
might,  the  spirit  of  knowledge  and  of  the  fear  of  the  Lord." 
The  first  of  the  sevenfold  blessings  of  the  Spirit  is  a  ge- 
neric possession — the  Spirit  of  the  Lord.  Under  it  are 
included  three  pairs  of  virtues.  The  first  pair  refers  to 
the  mind  of  the  Messiah,  the  second  to  his  executive  and 
practical  abilities,  and  the  third  to  his  character  and  his 
relation  to  Jehovah.  The  first  pair  refers  to  the  powers 
by  which  a  young  man  advances  in  the  world.  The  sec- 
ond pair  refers  to  the  power  by  which  one  touches  all  the 
life  around  him.  It  indicates  his  growth  in  breadth  as 
the  first  pair  indicates  his  personal  advancement.  The 
third  pair  relates  to  the  powers  by  which  one  grows  upward 
into  God.  (See  Phillips  Brooks's  sermon  on  "  The  Sym- 
metry of  Life,"  in  the  volume  called  The  Candle  of  the 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  CHRIST.  15 

Lord.)  The  two  Hebrew  words  for  wisdom  and  under- 
standing do  not  make  a  clear  distinction  in  the  mental 
qualities  here  set  forth.  Wisdom,  however,  seems  to  me 
to  indicate  the  intuitions  which  Christ  possessed  in  re- 
gard to  mental,  spiritual,  and  moral  truth.  By  reason 
of  sinlessness  his  vision  was  clearer  and  his  intuitions 
were  more  numerous  than  ours.  "  Understanding  "  in- 
dicates the  good  judgment  and  common  sense  which  he 
showed  in  regard  to  men  and  affairs.  "  The  spirit  of 
counsel  and  might  "  indicates  the  power  by  which  one 
brings  things  to  pass.  "  By  the  spirit  of  counsel  " 
Christ  formed  wise  plans  for  the  spiritual  conquest  of  the 
world,  and  by  "  the  spirit  of  might  "  he  is  carrying  these 
plans  into  successful  execution.  Many  a  man  who  has 
the  spirit  of  wisdom  and  understanding  lacks  these  prac- 
tical faculties.  Many  a  man  who  has  the  spirit  of  coun- 
sel, so  that  he  can  plan  wisely  in  regard  to  action,  lacks 
the  executive  faculty,  the  courage  and  patience,  for  carry- 
ing out  his  plans.  But  "  he  shall  not  fail  nor  be  dis- 
couraged, till  he  have  set  judgment  in  the  earth." 

"  The  spirit  of  knowledge  and  the  fear  of  the  Lord." 
The  knowledge  here  spoken  of  is  the  knowledge  of 
God,  and  not  simply  an  intellectual  knowledge  in  regard 
to  earthly  objects.  The  next  clause  in  the  Revised  Ver- 
sion reads :  "  And  his  delight  shall  be  in  the  fear  of  the 
Lord."  We  know,  therefore,  that  this  fear  is  not  a 
dread  of  Jehovah  on  the  part  of  the  Messiah.  It  is  rev- 
erence melting  into  love  of  God  and  delight  in  him. 

"  He  shall  not  judge  after  the  sight  of  his  eyes,  neither 


16  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

reprove  after  the  hearing  of  his  ears."  This  is  not  a  con- 
demnation of  the  use  of  the  senses,  but  a  limitation  of 
them  to  their  appointed  functions.  You  cannot  rrieas- 
ure  faith  with  a  foot-rule,  nor  weigh  character  on  the 
city  scales.  Modern  science,  and  even  the  Church,  is  too 
prone  to  esteem  men  according  to  material  tests. 

"  But  with  righteousness  shall  he  judge  the  poor,  and 
reprove  with  equity  for  the  meek  of  the  earth."  Christ 
cited  his  preaching  to  the  poor  as  one  of  the  tests  of  his 
Messiahship.  Yet  some  of  us  are  glad  to  preach  to  rich 
congregations  as  a  proof  of  our  higher  standing  in 
the  Christian  ministry  !  "  And  he  shall  smite  the  earth 
with  the  rod  of  his  mouth."  The  choice  of  truth  and 
love  as  the  means,  and  of  preaching  and  service  as  the 
agencies,  by  which  the  Messiah  would  make  the  con- 
quest of  the  world  is  one  of  the  highest  proofs  of  the 
inspired  sagacity  of  Christ. 

"  With  the  breath  of  his  lips  shall  he  slay  the  wick- 
ed." How  many  men  have  been  made  dead  to  sin  and 
brought  to  life  in  the  spirit  by  the  words  of  Christ. 
"And  righteousness  shall  be  the  girdle  of  his  loins,  and 
faithfulness  the  girdle  of  his  reins."  Righteousness  re- 
fers to  rectitude  of  motive  and  faithfulness  to  fidelity  in 
the  practical  details  of  life. 

The  prophet  now  passes  to  a  description  of  the  tri- 
umph of  Christ  in  the  physical  universe.  The  question 
may  arise  as  to  why  he  did  not  dwell  more  fully  upon 
his  triumph  in  the  Church  and  in  political  and  social  life. 
The   passing  over   of  these  conquests  in   this  place   is 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  CHRIST.  17 

probably  due  to  the  fact  that  Isaiah  devotes  special 
prophecies  elsewhere  to  these  phases  of  Christ's  work. 

The  last  four  verses  of  our  lesson  form  a  prophecy  yet 
unfulfilled  in  regard  to  the  redemption  of  the  earth  and 
the  regeneration  of  the  animal  kingdom.  The  language 
is  doubtless  figurative.  But  men  of  the  common  sense 
of  Wesley,  of  the  saintliness  of  Fletcher,  of  the  philo- 
sophical breadth  of  Julius  Miiller  and  Richard  Rothe,  of 
the  scholarship  of  Meyer,  and  of  the  spiritual  insight  of 
Godet  hold  that  the  earth  has  been  affected  by  sin,  and 
that  it  will  be  redeemed  by  Christ.  God  made  no  ideal 
world,  but  a  world  adapted  to  a  sinful  race.  As  soon, 
therefore,  as  sin  disappears  the  earth  will  present  an  un- 
suitable environment  for  man.  It  will  consequently  be 
transformed  to  suit  his  new  condition.  Paul  writes : 
"  For  the  creation  was  subjected  to  vanity,  not  of  its 
own  will,  but  by  reason  of  him  who  subjected  it,  in  hope 
that  the  creation  itself  also  shall  be  delivered  from  the 
bondage  of  corruption  into  the  liberty  of  the  glory  of  the 
children  of  God.  For  we  know  that  the  whole  creation 
groaneth  and  travaileth  in  pain  together  [or  with  us] 
until  now."  The  earth  was  once  an  Eden,  and  it  shall 
become  a  Paradise  again.  The  last  triumph  of  chemis- 
try, says  Rothe,  will  be  a  spiritual  body  possessing  im- 
mortality, and  perfectly  responsive  to  the  will.  John 
saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth  in  his  golden  vision 
of  the  millennium. 

The  lesson,  as  a  whole,  brings  hope  to  the  despondent 
and  furnishes  the  richest  practical  study  of  the  finest  char- 


18  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

acter  on  earth.  May  we  cultivate  the  sevenfold  gifts  of 
the  Spirit.  May  men  always  be  able  to  recognize  in  us 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord.  By  obedience  may  we  keep  our 
moral  vision  so  clear  and  strong  that  we  shall  have  an 
intuitive  perception  of  spiritual  realities  and  a  strong, 
clear  judgment  of  men  and  measures.  May  we  have  the 
practical  sagacity  to  wisely  plan  our  work  and  the  firm- 
ness and  the  executive  ability  to  carry  out  our  plan. 
Protestant  Christianity  has  to  a  large  extent  been  indi- 
vidual. Each  soul  has  been  pushing  forward  for  itself. 
We  are  just  now  approaching  a  social  phase  of  growth. 
We  must  reach  out  toward  our  brothers  and  sisters  on 
each  side  of  us.  The  danger  of  the  Church  of  the  next 
century  is  that  we  shall  become  so  engrossed  in  social 
duties  and  in  the  service  of  our  brethren  as  to  lose  sight 
of  God  and  immortality.  Above  all,  may  we,  therefore, 
grow  upward  into  him,  so  that  when  we  have  found  our 
brethren  we  shall  be  able  to  show  them  Christ  incarnate 
in  our  lives.  May  we  judge  and  be  judged  according  to 
motives,  and  be  especially  interested  in  the  poor  and  the 
meek  of  the  earth.  And  so  by  love,  by  service,  and  by 
truth  may  we  help  to  conquer  the  world  and  to  bring 
in  the  millennium  in  which  the  earth  shall  become  the 
garden  of  the  Lord. 

A  final  word  as  to  the  bearing  of  this  prophecy  upon 
higher  criticism.  As  a  rationalistic  exegesis  of  the  New 
Testament  has  been  overthrown  by  the  character  and 
acts  of  Christ,  so  an  antisupernatural  theory  of  the  Old 
Testament  will  break  before  the  prophecies  relating  to 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  CHRIST.  19 

Christ.  The  Old  Testament  declared  that  the  Messiah 
would  come  from  the  Jews.  It  described  his  character 
and  suffering.  It  declared  he  would  conquer  the  world 
by  love  and  truth  and  service.  A  man  appears  later 
whose  character  was  so  original  and  so  transcended,  if  it 
did  not  contradict,  the  spirit  of  his  age,  that  it  could  not 
have  been  invented  by  ignorant  and  carnal  fishermen. 
He  assumed  that  he  was  the  Messiah,  and  declared  that 
he  would  conquer  the  world.  His  own  nation  joined  the 
world  in  responding  to  this  preposterous  claim  by  cruci- 
fixion. We  live  nearly  two  thousand  years  after  this 
being  appeared.  Strange  to  say,  we  find  him  now  con- 
quering the  world  by  the  very  methods  of  humility  and 
self-renunciation  and  death  which  the  world  despised. 
When  we  find  prophecies  uttered  from  four  hundred  to 
two  thousand  years  before  Christ  came,  and  when  we 
find  his  character  exactly  answering  to  the  prophecies, 
and  when,  nearly  two  thousand  years  after  his  advent,  we 
find  his  prophecies  being  fulfilled  before  our  eyes,  a  can- 
did criticism  must  confess  that  the  Being  who  inspired 
these  words  is  the  Being  who  guides  the  unfolding  his- 
tory of  the  human  race.  Rationalistic  exegesis  will  yet 
bow  before  the  prophecies  of  Christ  as  it   has  already 

bowed  before  his  cross. 

J.  W.  BashfORD. 


20  BOSTON  no  MI  LIES. 


II. 

A  SONG  OF  SALVATION. 

Isa.  xxvi,  i-io. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— Trust  ye  in  the  Lord  forever:   for  in  the  Lord 
Jehovah  is  everlasting  strength.     Isa,  xxvl,  4. 

This  lesson  has  been  fitly  named.  It  follows  closely 
the  prophecies  concerning  the  gospel  times  which  are 
to  bring  great  changes  to  the  Lord's  people.  In  the 
day  of  the  fulfillment  of  divine  promise  this  song  is  to 
be  sung.  The  Church  will  then  be  a  reality,  and  here  it 
is  represented  as  a  city  whose  inhabitants  are  to  give 
expression  to  their  joy  in  this  lesson  we  are  to  study. 
These  verses  are  suggestive  taken  by  themselves,  but  they 
become  especially  so  when  associated  with  the  kingdom 
which  Christ  was  to  establish.  We  are  not  to  limit  the 
application  of  this  prophecy,  for  it  is  broader  than  hu- 
man conception.  This  city  is  Christ's  Church.  The 
song  is  descriptive  of  its  glory  and  power  in  the  world 
and  at  the  same  time  the  inward  and  heart  experience 
of  its  members  is  beautifully  expressed.  It  is  the  visi- 
ble body  of  believers  whose  names  are  so  many,  and 
also  the  invisible  company  "  that  no  man  can  number." 

The  Glorious  Church. 

1.  Its  Security  and  Peace. 

2.  Its  Victory  and  Power. 

3.  Its  Trust  and  Devotion. 


A   SONG  OF  SALVATION.  21 

I.  Its  Security  and  Peace.  It  is  a  strong  city,  and  so 
well  fortified  that  no  power  can  prevail  against  it.  Its 
walls  and  bulwarks  are  indicative  of  what  the  city 
within  must  be,  for  the  materials  suggest  strength  and 
power,  and  also  the  value  of  the  possessions  to  be  guard- 
ed by  their  defense.  The  Church  is  not  merely  the 
building,  but  also  the  inhabitants  who  have  some  knowl- 
edge of  salvation,  the  watchword  and  theme  of  all  who 
enter  within  its  gates.  It  is  not  strange  that  this  seer 
said  in  another  place :  "  Strengthen  ye  the  weak  hands, 
and  confirm  the  feeble  knees.  Say  to  them  that  are  of 
a  fearful  heart.  Be  strong,  fear  not :  behold,  your  God  will 
come  with  vengeance,  even  God  with  a  recompense  ;  he 
will  come  and  save  you."  Salvation  is  safety,  and  this 
lesson  indicates  that  it  may  be  present,  complete,  and 
eternal.  The  Saviour  confirms  this  word  of  prophecy 
when  he  utters  his  "  fear  not  "  of  encouragement.  His 
angelic  messengers  repeat  the  same  blessed  word  of  se- 
curity which  is  the  gospel  message  to  all  who  will  listen 
to  it. 

In  the  second  verse  of  this  lesson  there  is  a  thought 
which  looks  forward  to  the  time  of  the  establishing  of 
the  Church  on  Christ's  own  foundation.  In  the  proph- 
et's view  the  city  seems  to  be  just  completed  and  empty. 
It  is  to  be  filled,  not  with  the  chosen  people  alone,  but 
the  gates  are  to  be  thrown  wide  open  that  "  every  right- 
eous nation  which  keepeth  the  truth  may  enter  in." 
This  is  the  forerunner  of  the  Master's  "  whosoever." 
The  "  far  off"  were   to  be  brought  "  nigh  "  by  the  pro- 


S2  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

vision  which  had  been  made.  The  old  dividing  wall 
was  to  fall  of  its  own  accord.  The  old  lines  of  separa- 
tion were  to  be  snapped  asunder  and  the  veil  of  the 
temple  rent  in  twain.  Paul  expresses  this  fulfillment  in 
these  words :  "  For  through  him  we  both  [Jew  and  Gen- 
tile] have  access  by  one  Spirit  unto  the  Father.  Now 
therefore  ye  are  no  more  strangers  and  foreigners,  but 
fellow-citizens  with  the  saints,  and  of  the  household  of 
God  ;  and  are  built  upon  the  foundation  of  the  apostles 
and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ  himself  being  the  chief  cor- 
ner-stone ;  in  whom  all  the  building  fitly  framed  to- 
gether groweth  unto  a  holy  temple  in  the  Lord  :  in 
whom  ye  also  are  builded  together  for  a  habitation  of 
God  through  the  Spirit." 

But  there  is  something  even  stronger  than  mere  secu- 
rity from  enemies  without  in  this  city  or  church.  Its  in- 
habitants enjoy  a  peace  which  is  the  most  perfect  of  any 
thing  that  can  be  described.  It  is  "  peace  upon  peace." 
It  is  the  rest  for  the  people  of  God  in  advance  of  the 
heavenly  rest  promised  in  the  word.  It  is  peace  among 
themselves  and  also  within  themselves.  Jesus  thus 
speaks  of  it :  "  Peace  I  leave  with  you,  my  peace  I  give 
unto  you  :  not  as  the  world  giveth,  give  I  unto  you." 
It  is  a  blessing  imparted  and  a  condition  in  which  the 
trusting  soul  can  be  constantly  kept.  It  carries  its  rea- 
son in  its  condition  and  speaks  in  the  happiness  of  its 
possessor.  His  mind  is  stayed  on  Him,  and  he  sustains 
the  staying  soul.  The  everlasting  strength  comes  from 
"  ever  trusting  in  the  Lord  Jehovah." 


A   SONG   OF  SALVATION.  S3 

2.  Its  Victory  and  Poiver.  Here  is  a  pre-statement  of 
"A  little  one  shall  become  a  thousand,  and  a  small  one  a 
strong  nation,"  and  a  re-statement  of  "  One  man  of  you 
shall  chase  a  thousand  :  for  the  Lord  your  God,  he  it  is 
that  fighteth  for  you,  as  he  hath  promised  you."  There 
is  nothing  more  helpful  to  the  thoughtful  Christian  than 
to  consider  how  the  Church  has  moved  forward  in  her 
successes.  Her  battles  have  been  many  and  her  victories 
have  been  more.  Her  losses  have  been  only  temporary 
— in  appearance  rather  than  in  reality.  The  sneers  and 
scoffs  of  unbelievers  have  found  expression  and  have 
been  forgotten.  The  proud  conceit  of  him  who  claimed 
that  he  was  undermining  the  cause  of  Christ  has  little  to 
show  for  his  work  except  the  memory  of  his  self  con- 
sciousness. Others  have  arisen  after  his  disgrace  to  carry 
on  his  work,  but  the  Church  has  moved  on  unmindful  of 
them  all.  She  seeks  no  battle,  but  never  retreats  when 
her  foundations  and  walls  are  besieged.  She  has  perfect 
confidence  in  the  Captain  of  her  salvation  and  has  never 
misplaced  her  faith  in  him.  "  The  weapons  of  our  war- 
fare are  not  carnal,  but  mighty  through  God  to  the  pull- 
ing down  of  strongholds  ;  casting  down  imaginations, 
and  every  high  thing  that  exalteth  itself  against  the 
knowledge  of  God,  and  bringing  into  captivity  every 
thought  to  the  obedience  of  Christ."  We  do  not  often 
enough  let  our  thoughts  dwell  upon  the  power  of  the 
Church.  Such  meditation  always  strengthens  faith.  It 
was  our  Lord  himself  who  said :  "  On  this  rock  I  will 
build  my  Church,  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail 


S4  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

against  it."  Daniel's  picture  is  inspiring :  "  And  the 
kingdom  and  dominion,  and  the  greatness  of  the  king- 
dom under  the  whole  heaven,  shall  be  given  to  the  peo- 
ple of  the  saints  of  the  Most  High,  whose  kingdom  is 
an  everlasting  kingdom,  and  all  dominions  shall  serve 
and  obey  him."  The  strange  part  of  this  prophecy  is  to 
be  found  in  that  "  the  poor  and  the  needy "  are  to  be 
prominent  factors  in  the  establishing  of  this  power  in 
the  world.  In  ministering  to  them  we  are  helping  to 
spread  his  kingdom  and  power. 

"  Our  Lord  and  Master, 
When  he  departed,  left  us  in  his  will. 
As  our  best  legacy  on  earth,  the  poor ! 
These  we  have  always  with  us ;  had  we  not 
Our  hearts  would  grow  as  hard  as  are  these  stones." 

— Longfellow. 

When  John  the  Baptist  seemed  to  be  in  doubt  whether 
Jesus  was  really  the  Christ,  the  climax  to  the  Saviour's 
answer  was  in  these  words  :  "And  the  poor  have  the  gos- 
pel preached  to  them."  If  this  was  the  Master's  opinion 
of  his  ministry,  how  careful  ought  we  to  be  that  we  "  do 
not  despise  "  one  of  the  least  in  his  kingdom. 

3.  Its  Trjist  and  Devotion.  Here  really  is  to  be  found 
the  reason  of  the  Church's  security  and  peace,  as  well  as 
its  victory  and  power.  This  trust  and  devotion  are  ex- 
pressed first  as  personal  and  then  as  an  influence  upon 
others.  Not  always  as  efficient  as  desirable,  as  the  last 
verse  of  the  lesson  indicates,  but  the  seventh  states  the 
case  in  general  for  those  who  are  true,  and  the  tenth  is 
only  the  contrast  on  the  part  of  those  who  will  not  see 


A   SONG   OF  SALVATION.  25 

and  believe.  It  is  so  clear  that  all  may  understand  it, 
and,  best  of  all,  we  have  the  Lord's  approval  in,  "  The 
way  of  the  just  is  uprightness:  thou,  most  upright,  dost 
weigh  the  path  of  the  just."  Matthew  Henry  translates 
this  verse  in  this  way  :  "  The  way  of  the  just  is  even- 
ness." He  also  says  in  explanation,  "  It  is  their  en- 
deavor and  constant  care  to  walk  with  God  in  an  even, 
steady  course  of  obedience  and  godly  conversation." 
The  beauty  of  this  trust  is  in  its  constancy.  It  is  not 
merely  for  great  occasions,  but  for  all  times  and  for  the 
greatest  difficulties.  When  the  devotion  of  the  Church 
is  thus  even  and  constant  she  is  at  her  greatest  power. 
In  the  next  two  verses  this  trust  is  not  so  easy,  because 
in  the  revealing  of  God's  judgments  there  will  come 
much  to  try  the  faith  and  to  bring  discouragement  to 
the  soul.  But  the  trustful  Christian  clings  to  the  thought 
of  divine  vindication,  believing  that 

"  God  is  his  own  interpreter, 
And  he  will  make  it  plain." 

The  little  fiock  are  told  to  "  fear  not,"  but  when  the 
time  for  fear  seems  to  arise  they  are  to  hold  on,  faithful  in 
their  service.  They  are  encouraged  in  their  devotion 
by  the  devotion  of  their  Lord  to  them.  This  is  only  a 
prophetic  picture  of  what  is  simplest  and  grandest  in  the 
members  of  the  true  Church.  This  is  the  crowning  part 
of  her  glory.  She  has  wealth,  and  her  resources  have 
unlimited  sway  in  the  world.  She  builds  her  sanctuaries 
and  colleges  by  the  thousand.  She  enlarges  her  borders 
and  is  constantly  seeking  new  and  difficult  fields  of  labor. 


26  BOS  TO  A'  HOMILIES. 

but  her  glory  and  beauty  and  power  reach  their  climax 
in  the  simple  and  constant  trust  and  devotion  of  her  ad- 
herents. Here,  also,  is  the  source  of  her  greatness,  and 
whenever  weak  the  great  secret  of  her  weakness.  This 
strong  thought  in  this  lesson  can  be  suggested,  but  not 
fully  described.  Only  he  who  lives  it  knows  it,  and  he 
who  lives  it  most  knows  it  best.  It  is  the  simplest  and 
most  child-like ;  the  highest  and  most  human  ;  the  holi- 
est and  most  divine.  He  who  depends  upon  words  for 
his  knowledge  of  it  must  ever  be  ignorant,  but  the  honest 
soul  who  trusts  God  learns  more  than  volumes  in  a  single 
act  of  saving  faith.  We  must  content  ourselves  with  the 
oft-repeated  assertion  that  "the  half  has  never  been  told." 
In  the  midst  of  the  blessings  it  brings  to  the  believer  it 
is  constantly  entreating  favor  for  the  man  of  unbelief, 
and  how  many  times  the  devoted  prayer  has  prevailed 
we  may  not  know,  but  this  constant  testimony  has  not 
been  in  vain.  These  prophetic  words  are  not  mere 
prophecy  given  by  the  inspiration  of  our  God.  They 
have  become  the  poetry  of  the  trustful  and  devoted  souls 
of  the  Church  to-day.  They  are  the  "  dew  of  the  morn- 
ing," the  "light  at  eventide,"  and  in  darkest  and  most 
trying  hours  they  are  our  "  songs  in  the  night."  They 
have  their  part  in  the  "  new,  new  song  "  of  experienced 
salvation,  and  also  in  the  "  old,  old  story  "  of  redem.ption 
and  love.  They  have  been  repeatedly  sung  in  our  "  strong 
city,"  and  in  the  "  city  that  hath  foundations  "  we  shall 
recognize  them  in  the  "  song  of  Moses  and  the  Lamb." 

George  Shaw  Butters. 


OVERCOME   WITH  WINE.  27 


III. 

OVERCOME  WITH  WINE. 

Isa.  xxviii,  1-13. 

GOLDEN   TEXT.— ^A^ine    is    a    mocker,  strong    drink   is    raging: 
and  whosoever  is  deceived  thereby  is  not  wise.    Prov.  xx,  i. 

The  last  lesson  was  a  song.  This  one  is  a  malediction. 
Together  they  make  two  stanzas  of  the  Bible  song  of 
"  Mercy  and  of  Judgment."  Our  lesson  is  the  first  of 
five  woes  pronounced  against  evil-doers.  These  woes 
make  a  distinct  section  (chaps,  xxviii-xxxiii)  of  the 
prophecies  of  Isaiah,  which,  judging  from  his  frequent 
quotations  from  it,  must  have  been  a  favorite  book  with 
Jesus  of  Nazareth. 

Four  of  these  woes  are  directed  to  God's  own  peo- 
ple, the  fifth  to  those  whom  he  would  use  to  punish 
them  for  their  sins.  The  Israelites  are  not  now  one 
people,  but  for  a  long  time  past  have  been  two  king- 
doms. Israel  includes  ten  tribes  and  possesses  the  north- 
ern territory,  with  Samaria  for  its  capital;  Judah,  with 
its  two  tribes,  occupies  the  south,  with  Jerusalem  for  its 
center. 

The  evil  fruitage  of  division  is  clearly  seen  in  both 
kingdoms,  and  is  especially  manifest  in  connection  with 
these  woes  from  the  lips  of  God's  prophet. 

I.  The  clouds  gather,  and  woe  is  pealed  forth  over  the 


28  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

northern  kingdom,  "  Woe  to  the  crown  of  pride,  to  the 
drunkards  of  Ephraim  "  (ver.  i). 

Ephraim,  son  of  Joseph,  declared  fruitful,  adopted  into 
the  tribes  by  dying  Jacob,  to  which  also  Joshua  be- 
longed, becomes  the  leading  tribe,  and  now  it  stands 
as  the  representative  of  the  whole  kingdom  of  Israel. 
"  Woe  to  Ephraim  "  is  woe  to  the  whole  northern  king- 
dom. Why  this  malediction  on  Israel  ?  Externally  it 
would  seem  as  though  the  divine  benediction  was  repeat- 
edly spoken  to  it.  Occupying  the  middle  portion  of  the 
land  of  Canaan,  with  possessions  extending  far  to  the 
north,  it  was  beautiful  for  situation.  Victory  after  vic- 
tory had  followed  its  northern  invasions.  Wealth  it  had 
in  abundance.  Samaria,  its  capital,  sat  in  stately  grandeur, 
enthroned  upon  one  of  its  hills  which  sloped  down  into 
flat  valleys  fat  with  rich  pastures.  The  sheep  and  kine 
grazed  peacefully  upon  the  sides  of  Mount  Ephraim.  The 
people  of  the  land,  being  highly  prosperous,  were  proud 
of  their  country  and  gloried  in  their  imposing  capital 
which  crowned  the  nation.  Even  Jerusalem  itself  was  not 
to  be  compared  to  Samaria  in  their  estimation. 

The  body  politic  of  Israel  seems  to  be  in  the  fullness 
of  health  and  vigor;  but  looking  closer,  we  find  it  is  not 
the  flush  of  health  which  glows  on  its  cheeks,  but  the 
hectic  blush  of  disease.  The  strength  of  its  members  is 
not  the  muscular  strength  of  the  strong  man.  Its  move- 
ments are  not  the  strides  of  a  conqueror,  but  the  falter- 
ing steps  of  the  broken  spirited  and  the  conquered.  For 
Ephraim,  which  should  be  an  overcomer,  is  overcome—^ 


OVERCOME   WITH   WINE.  29 

broken,  the  margin  says — broken  with  wine.  Its  political 
constitution  is  "  broken  "  by  the  nation-destroying  con- 
queror, Wine.  Its  intellectual  power  is  "  broken  "  so  that 
judgment  is  lacking  for  the  business  to  be  transacted  at 
the  gates  of  its  cities  and  in  the  high  places  of  govern- 
ment. Its  spiritual  life  is  overcome  and  "broken"  by 
the  evil  spirit  of  wine.  The  poison  has  entered  subtly 
into  the  body  politic  of  Israel,  and  is  silently  but  surely 
working  from  within  its  utter  destruction.  Its  vitality  is 
being  sapped  by  consuming  wine.  Moreover,  the  dis- 
pleasure of  Israel's  God  is  aroused.  His  malediction  is 
uttered  against  Samaria,  "  the  crown  of  pride  of  the 
drunkards  of  Ephraim,"  "the  fading  flower  of  his  glo- 
rious beauty,  which  is  on  the  head  of  the  fat  valley." 
Because  they  are  overcome  with  wine  they  shall  be  over- 
come by  the  mighty  Assyrian,  whom  God  will  take  into 
his  hand  and  use  to  break  them  into  pieces.  He  will 
hurl  the  Assyrians  at  them  for  their  overthrow  even 
"  as  a  tempest  of  hail  and  a  destroying  storm,  as  a 
flood  of  mighty  waters  overflowing"  (ver.  2).  Samaria 
itself  shall  be  pelted,  beaten,  and  overwhelmed  by  their 
mighty  foes,  the  Assyrians,  who  are  now  handled  by 
God,  whom  they  have  dishonored,  for  their  overthrow. 
The  imposing  city  "  shall  be  trodden  under  foot." 
The  "  fading  flower  of  his  glorious  beauty "  shall  be 
consumed  even  as  a  fruit-hungry  man  quickly  devours 
the  choice  first  early  ripe  fig  which  comes  into  his 
hand.  All  of  which  ruin  God  wrought  later  by  the 
hands  of  Shalmaneser  and   Sargon,  who  took  the  ten 


so  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

tribes  into  captivity.  Thus  ended  the  drunken  kingdom 
of  Israel. 

But  not  Israel  alone  is  the  object  of  this  uttered  woe. 
It  is  directed  to  Judah  also.  Jerusalem  also,  as  well 
as  Samaria,  shares  the  divine  displeasure  because  of  sin. 
Though  not  so  wickedly  drunken  as  Israel,  Judah  is  not 
free  from  the  curse  of  wine.  A  residue  from  Israel  have 
escaped  to  Judah  and  thus  break  company  with  the 
topers  of  Israel.  They  have  cut  off  their  affiliations  with 
the  wine-dealers  and  wine-drinkers  of  Ephraim,  and  cast 
in  their  lot  with  Judah  and  Jerusalem.  To  this  "  residue  " 
(ver.  6)  "  the  Lord  of  hosts  shall  be  for  a  crown  of  glory, 
and  for  a  diadem  of  beauty."  Their  strength  shall  not 
be  the  strength  of  wine,  but  the  strength  of  God.  Their 
beauty  not  the  consumptive  beauty  of  disease,  but  the 
beauty  of  holiness.  This  shall  radiate  from  them  like 
the  sparkling  light  from  a  diadem  of  beauty  upon  the 
brow  of  a  royal  conqueror.  Having  escaped  the  snare 
of  the  evil  spirit  of  wine  which  perverts  judgment,  God 
will  be  to  them  "  a  spirit  of  judgment."  Having  con- 
quered wine,  they  shall  overcome  all  their  foes  and  drive 
them  back  even  to  the  gates  whence  they  came. 

But,  alas !  these  strong  and  pure  ones  from  Israel,  and 
also  they  of  like  mind  in  Judah,  form  but  a  remnant. 
The  conquering  cup  has  been  carried  into  Judah,  even 
to  Jerusalem  (vers.  7-9).  There  also  the  people  "reel" 
and  "  stagger  "  (margin)  through  strong  drink.  Walking 
the  streets  of  its  cities  the  eyes  of  the  remnant  were  of- 
fended with  the  staggering  gait  of  the  drunkards,  their 


OVERCOME    WITH   WINE.  SI 

fetid  breath  polluted  the  atmosphere,  and  their  drunken 
speech  grated  upon  their  ears. 

The  hospitalities  of  the  people  had  degenerated  into 
debauchery.  (See  chap,  v,  II,  12.)  The  gorgeously  fur- 
nished homes  of  the  entertainers,  even  the  tables  at  which 
they  ate,  were  poisoned  with  the  filthiness  of  the  drunk- 
ard's vomit  (ver.  8).  These  things  the  temperance  rem- 
nant met  in  the  social  life  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem. 

On  entering  the  realm  of  things  religious  similar  scenes 
met  their  gaze.  The  priest  at  the  altar,  though  by  posi- 
tive divine  command  prohibited  from  using  wine  before 
the  service  of  the  sanctuary  (Lev.  x,  9;  Ezek.  xliv,  21), 
yet  is  seen  staggering  to  the  altar  to  perform  his  heartless 
rites  and  ceremonies.  The  prophet,  the  chosen  medium 
of  the  divine  message  to  the  people,  has  his  vision  be- 
clouded and  his  judgment  perverted  by  strong  drink  so 
that  he  cannot  see  the  will  of  God  nor  declare  his  mes- 
sage to  the  people.     (See  Amos  vi,  1-6  ;  Mic.  ii,  11.) 

A  dark  picture  certainly  is  this  of  both  kingdoms, 
Israel  and  Judah.  The  strength  of  each  nation  is  broken 
with  wine.  Even  the  ministers  of  religion  are  "drunk 
with  wine  wherein  is  excess,"  instead  of  being  "  filled 
with  the  Spirit."  The  common  people,  the  best  (?)  fami- 
lies, the  ministers  of  civil  affairs,  and  the  ministers  of 
religion — all  overcome  with  wine,  a  bare  remnant  only 
excepted  !  Physical  resources,  civil  advantages,  religious 
privileges — all  prostituted  to  the  service  of  the  evil  spirit 
of  wine ! 

To  such  a   people  was  Isaiah  sent  to  utter  the  divine 


SS  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

maledictions  of  which  our  lesson  is  the  first  in  this  book 
of  woes.  How  did  they  receive  him  ?  Verses  9  and  10 
answer.  They  discuss  Isaiah  and  his  message  over  their 
cups.  Listen  to  them  in  their  drunken  conceits  as  they 
ask,  "Whom  would  he  teach?"  etc.!  His  moralizings 
and  temperance  talks  may  do  for  babies  just  weaned. 
Perhaps  they  also  said,  "  Let  him  preach  to  women  and 
children,  not  to  us  MEN."  Certainly  we  hear  in  their 
words  the  stammerings  of  drunkards  as  they  caricature 
the  warning  utterances  of  Lsaiah,  for  the  Hebrew  mono- 
syllables in  verse  10  are  repeated  just  as  drunkards  would 
utter  them. 

Isaiah  takes  the  stammering  words  from  their  lips  and 
hurls  them  back  upon  them  by  telling  them  that  the 
Assyrian  jargon  shall  soon  fall  upon  their  ears,  and  it 
shall  be  the  shouts  of  their  conquerors.  The  wine- 
smitten  and  broken  shall  be  smitten  and  broken  by  their 
northern  foes.  Having  rejected  and  incapacitated  them- 
selves for  God's  "  rest  "  and  "  refreshing,"  the  unrest  of 
captivity  shall  be  theirs.  Being  now  overcome  with 
wine,  they  shall  be  overcome  by  the  Assyrians  in  the 
hand  of  God,  whom  they  have  dishonored.  They  shall 
recede  from  the  high  position  they  have  taken  as  nations, 
shall  stumble  backward  as  do  drunkards,  shall  be  broken 
into  fragments,  snared  as  in  a  net,  and  be  taken  as  prey 
by  the  spoilers,  all  because  they  disobeyed  the  God  of 
David  their  father,  and  became  a  nation  of  drunkards. 
Overcome  with  wine,  they  shall  be  overcome  by  the  As- 
syrians in  the  hand  of  God.     The  later  history  of  Israel 


OVERCOME   WITH   WINE.  S3 

and  Judah  prove  Isaiah  to  have  been  a  true  prophet  of 
the  Lord. 

With  equal  force  is  this  woe  directed  to  the  EngHsh, 
American,  or  any  other  nation  which  is  under  the  foot 
of  the  god  of  wine.  Physical  resources,  civil  opportu- 
nities, educational  facilities,  religious  advantages  only 
heighten  the  condemnation  and  hasten  the  doom  of  a 
God-dishonoring  and  drunken  nation  in  either  hemi- 
sphere. Let  the  wandering,  nationless  Jew  wherever 
seen  be  a  temperance  sermon  in  shoes,  giving  a  loud 
warning  to  every  man  who  meets  him. 

The  remainder  of  this  first  woe  is  addressed  to  the 
rulers  of  the  people  (vers.  14-22).  Let  law-makers  who 
make  a  covenant  with  death  to  furnish  him  victims  from 
our  own  land  at  the  rate  of  eighty  thousand  yearly,  and 
who,  by  legalizing  the  rum-traffic,  "  with  hell  are  at  agree- 
ment "  to  rob  heaven  of  its  lawful  subjects — let  them 
know  that  already  God's  line  and  plummet  are  laid  to 
their  political  structures,  and  the  waters  shall  sweep 
away  their  refuges  of  lies.  Then,  as  they  made  their  bed 
so  shall  they  lie  on  it,  and  find  it  too  short  for  resting, 
and  its  covering  too  narrow  to  wrap  themselves  in 
(ver.  20).  They  must  have  new  lodgings  or  die  of  un- 
rest and  cold  neglect. 

There  was  a  savingremnant  in  Isaiah's  day  (i,  9;  vi,  13) 
called  a  "  residue "  in  our  lesson  (ver.  5).  There  is  a 
temperance  remnant  in  God's  Israel  to-day.  It  demands 
that  the  ministers  of  religion  be  free  from  the  curse,  that 

priests  and  people  wholly  abstain  from  all  alcoholic  bev- 

2* 


54  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

erages.  While  seeking  the  reformation  of  those  already 
overcome,  it  especially  seeks  the  formation  of  a  sober 
rising  generation  by  teachings  in  Sunday  and  day 
schools,  and  by  securing  such  legislation  as  shall  make 
the  streets  safe  for  the  feet  of  both  young  and  old. 

All  hail  to  the  remnant  of  all  denominations  and 
parties  who  to-day  are  seeking  to  rescue  those  overcome 
with  wine,  and  to  save  others  from  being  smitten  down 
by  the  rum  fiend  ! 

This  first  "woe  to  the  drunkards  "  who  have  "  erred," 
"  stumbled,"  "  are  out  of  the  way,"  "  swallowed  up,"  and 
are  already  "  overcome,"  "  broken,  smitten  down,"  and 
in  "  filthiness  " — if  this  woe  is  not  heeded  the  New  Tes- 
tament declaration,  "  No  drunkard  shall  inherit  the 
kingdom  of  God  "  (i  Cor.  vi,  lo),  will  surely  be  fulfilled. 
Let  us,  then,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  declare,  "  Woe  to 
the  drunkards  of  this  and  every  place." 

W.  H.  Meredith. 


HEZEKIAH'S  PRAYER  AND  DELIVERANCE.      35 


IV. 

HEZEKIAH'S  PRAYER  AND  DELIVERANCE. 

Isa.  xxxvii,  14-21,  33-38. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— The  righteous  cry,  and  the  Lord  heareth,  and 
delivereth  them.     Psa.  xxxiv,  17. 

"  All  history  and  all  experience  teach  us  that  nature 
knows  no  difference  between  praying  and  cursing "  is 
the  affirmation  of  a  Unitarian  divine.*  That  word 
nature  is  a  cover  for  much  evasive  nicety,  it  is  true,  but 
the  context  of  the  quotation,  and  especially  the  empha- 
sis put  upon  "unvarying  law,"  indicates  that  the  speaker's 
practical  intent  was  to  show  the  inutility  of  prayer. 

Does  the  ex-rector  recognize  the  sacred  Scriptures  as 
authentic  annals,  then  here  is  one  history,  at  least,  which 
teaches  that  there  is  a  difference  between  praying  and 
cursing,  and  that  it  is  better  to  pray  than  to  curse. 

In  the  fascinating  series  of  Bible  pictures  representing 
the  ancient  worthies  in  the  act  and  attitude  of  prayer — 
Noah  on  the  dripping  rocks  of  Ararat,  Jacob  at  Jabbok, 
Elijah  on  Carmel,  Daniel  in  Babylon,  Peter  on  the  house- 
top at  Joppa,  and  Paul  in  Street  Straight  in  Damascus — all 
must  yield  the  palm  for  scenic  effect  to  the  picture  of  the 
sack-clothed  king  kneeling  in  the  awful  presence  of  the 
Holy  of  Holies,  with  the  blasphemous  scroll  of  the  world- 

*  Thomas  Vickers,  ex-Rector  Cincinnati  University. 


36  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

conquering  Assyrian  spread  out  under  the  effulgence  of 
the  veryShekinah  itself.  Such  a  scene  arrests  attention, 
provokes  thought. 

Jiidah  was  a  bagatelle  for  Sennacherib.  The  Nile 
was  his  real  destination.  It  was  the  acme  of  his  ambi- 
tion to  boast  that  he  had  dried  up  the  irrigating  canals 
of  Eygpt,  which  would  be  equivalent  to  a  complete  des- 
olation of  the  country.  But  to  reach  Egypt  he  must 
pass  through  the  tiny  realm  of  the  Hebrews.  Nothing, 
then,  could  prove  more  than  a  momentary  impediment. 
The  Ninevite  was  ignorantly  omitting  the  invincible 
factor  in  his  calculations,  the  God  of  the  Hebrews. 

The  prophet  describes  the  approach  of  the  world-con- 
queror with  nervous  picturesqueness.  Like  an  engulf- 
ing tide  his  army  reaches  the  height  of  Lebanon,  even 
the  highest  caravansary.  The  cedars  feel  his  fire  at  their 
roots.  Damascus  is  a  heap.  Hamath,  Arphad,  Sephar- 
vaim,  Hena,  Ivah,  Calno,  Carchemish  are  mile-stones  in 
the  march  of  desolation.  He  pauses  at  Michmash,  the 
"  Rubicon  of  sacred  territory."  Ramah,  Gibeah,  Geba, 
Benjamite  citadels,  fall  in  a  day.  Two-score  defended 
cities  of  Judah  are  taken.  Jerusalem  alone  remains  in- 
violate, and  the  ruthless  invader  even  now  stands  at 
Nob  and  shakes  his  hand  defiantly  at  the  Daughter  of 
Zion. 

For  the  first  time  in  his  long  and  glorious  reign  Heze- 
kiah  falters  in  faith.  He  confers  with  flesh  and  blood. 
The  indemnity,  to  pay  which  the  house  of  God  must 
needs  be  stripped,  is  as  nothing  compared  with  the  loss 


HEZEKIAH'S  PRAYER  AND  DELIVERANCE.      37 

to  the  nation  of  moral  tone  incurred  by  the  defection 
from  Jehovah  and  compounding  with  an  idolatrous  and 
blasphemous  monarch.  The  loss  of  morale  was  quickly 
and  sharply  illustrated  by  the  delirious  excitement  of 
the  people  as  they  watched  the  hostile  cohorts  passing 
by,  their  failure  to  heed  their  divine  call  to  humiliation, 
their  riotous  gluttony,  and  want  of  appreciation  of  the 
sacrifice  at  which  immunity  had  been  purchased. 

This  historic  incident  is  singularly  apposite  to  some 
living  issues.  Any  compromise,  municipal,  state,  or  na- 
tional, with  the  enemy  of  Jehovah  produces  precisely  the 
same  results  to-day  as  in  Hezekiah's  time.  License 
saloons  and  prostitution,  and  you  lower  that  inestimable 
quality  of  the  community,  its  moral  tone,  and  by  that 
very  means  you  indefinitely  postpone  and  increase  the 
difficulty  of  the  final  suppression  of  the  evil.  Yet  there 
are  not  wanting  those  who  would  strip  off  the  fine  gold 
of  our  national  temple  and  turn  it  over  as  an  indemnity 
to  the  devil.  Hezekiah's  bitter  experience  is  a  warning. 
May  it  be  heeded  ! 

How  short  Judah's  respite.  In  an  incredibly  brief  time 
Sennacherib,  who  in  his  "  gasconading  inscriptions  "  at 
Korsabad  describes  himself  as  an  "  observer  of  sworn 
faith,"  is  back  under  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  ;  not  in 
person,  but  represented  by  his  chief  captain,  chief  eunuch, 
and  chief  cup-bearer.  The  indemnity  just  paid  is  ignored, 
and  surrender  of  the  city  is  demanded.  The  embassy 
address  themselves  to  the  people  crowding  the  wall, 
studiously  slighting  the  king's    representatives.     With 


38  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

Machiavelian  skill  they  put  the  finishing  touches  to  the 
morale  of  the  garrison,  already  undermined  by  the  king's 
concession. 

This  insulting  embassy  is  quickly  followed  by  a  letter 
from  Sennacherib — terrible  in  its  language  and  terms — 
written  "grievousness." 

The  extremity  is  reached.  Jerusalem  is  an  oasis  in  a 
desert  of  desolation.  The  destroying  floods  break  in 
angry  roar  and  foam  around  the  rock  of  Zion.  Hezekiah 
is  as  a  bird  shut  in  a  cage.  Sennacherib  is  about  to 
thrust  his  hand  into  the  Holy  City,  as  he  has  into  the 
nest  of  every  nation,  and  irrevocably  despoil  it.  The 
dilemma  is  fixed.  Resistance  and  defeat  on  the  one  hand 
subject  the  captives  to  inhuman,  ferocious  barbarities,  un- 
surpassed in  history.  For  some,  a  ring  in  the  nose,  an  iron 
bit  through  the  lip,  by  means  of  which  the  captive  shall 
be  dragged  whithersoever  the  merciless  captor  listeth ; 
at  length  the  eyes  jabbed  out  with  a  spear.  For  others, 
that  acme  of  human  cruelty,  flaying  alive.  Assyrian 
sculptors  are  even  now  cutting  the  bass-reliefs  depict- 
ing the  stubborn  defenders  of  Lachish  lying  naked  on 
the  ground,  each  waiting  the  incision  of  the  relentless 
knife. 

The  other  horn  of  the  dilemma  is  scarcely  less  appalling. 
It  involves  a  moral  humiliation  and  agony  as  insufferable 
as  the  physical :  an  ignoble  surrender  to  the  blasphemous 
idolater  that  involves  denationalization  and  the  de- 
porting of  the  entire  populace  according  to  the  fixed 
method  of  the  Eastern  conquerors ;  an  exile  imbittered, 


HEZEKIAH'S  PRAYER  AND  DELIVERANCE.      39 

too,  by  the  importation  of  an  idolatrous  colony  (also  part 
of  the  Eastern  policy)  into  Judea;  a  motley,  debased 
people  who  shall  be  encouraged  to  imitate  the  Hebrew 
ritual  after  the  manner  of  the  Samaritans — this,  too,  a 
part  of  that  hated  diplomacy  which  thought  it  wise  thus 
to  maintain  the  worship  of  local  divinities  by  the  colon- 
ists ;  a  bastard  race  peopling  even  the  holy  hill  of 
Zion,  mimicking  the  Davidic  psalmody  and  the  Levitical 
sacrifices.  Out  on  the  very  thought  !  Who  can  endure 
it? 

Pity  the  ignoble,  merciless  fate  of  a  people  once  ex- 
alted to  heaven.  On  one  or  the  other  horn  all  that 
remains  of  the  Hebrew  nationality  must  be  impaled.  It 
is  inevitable  unless — Jehovah  makes  bare  his  arm  ! 

In  this  emergency  the  ex-rector,  Vickers,  would  have 
said,  "  Hezekiah,  you  might  as  well  go  to  the  wall  and 
curse  Sennacherib  as  to  go  to  the  temple  and  pray  to 
God.  All  history  and  all  experience  teach  us  that  there 
is  no  difference  between  praying  and  cursing.  Every 
thing  is  subject  to  unvarying  law." 

A  diviner  wisdom  possessed  the  soul  of  the  glorious 
reformer,  the  Judean  king.  He  believed  the  as  yet  un- 
written Scripture,  "  The  effectual  fervent  prayer  of  a 
righteous  man  availeth  much."  Chanting  in  his  soul  the 
psalm,  "  The  Lord  is  our  refuge  and  strength,"  and 
shoring  up  his  faith  with  the  "strophe-like"  prophecies 
of  Isaiah  and  the  memory  of  the  Red  Sea  and  the 
wilderness,  and  justified  by  the  awful  emergency  in  what 
otherwise  would  have  been  a  profanation,  he  enters  even 


jiO  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

the  holiest  place  and   casts  himself  before  the  mercy- 
seat. 

Hezekiah  prays.  Unvarying  law  varies.  A  simoom 
sweeps  the  Jiidean  valley  at  night.  Sleeping  warriors 
drink  in  death  through  their  uncovered  mouths,  and  de- 
liverance has  come. 

O  day-star  [Sennacherib],  son  of  the  morning. 
How  art  thou  cut  down  to  the  ground  ? 

The  crimson  shields  of  Assyria  cover  the  pillars  of  the 
temple  so  lately  stripped  to  buy  a  worthless  truce,  tro- 
phies of  the  dead  host  "  unsmote  by  the  sword."  The 
cedars  of  Lebanon  shout  for  joy  at  the  fall  of  their 
destroyer.  A  colossal  page  of  history  turns.  On  its 
under  side  Assyria  disappears ;  on  its  upper,  Babylonia 
comes  to  view. 

In  the  turbid  stream  of  the  materialism  and  infidelity 
of  our  day  this  indubitable  historic  incident  erects  itself. 
Textual  criticism  and  a  something  falsely  called  science 
and  an  evil  unbelief  all  fret  into  a  foam  about  it.  It  is 
unmoved,  immovable  !  For  three  millenniums  it  has 
been  a  glorious,  irrefutable  memorial  of  answer  to  prayer. 
Hezekiah  prayed.     God  delivered. 

Davis  W.  Clark. 


THE  SUFFERING  SAVIOUR.  4I 


V. 

THE  SUFFERING  SAVIOUR. 

Isa.  liii,  1-12. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— The  Lord  hath   laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us 
all.     Isa.  liii,  6. 

In  this  chapter  more  than  in  any  other  portion  of 
the  Old  Testament  we  breathe  the  atmosphere  of  the 
New.  There  may  be  some  uncertainty  as  to  its  author; 
there  is  none  as  to  its  evangelical  spirit.  Whoever  wrote 
it — Isaiah  in  his  advancing  years,  meditating  with  an  old 
man's  yearning  on  the  future  of  his  nation  and  God's 
mystery  of  redemption  as  revealed  to  him  by  the  Spirit, 
a  pupil  of  the  aged  prophet  chastened  by  the  sufferings 
in  Babylon  so  as  to  be  translucent  to  the  divine  ray,  or 
some  unknown  one  sensitive  to  the  heart  of  God — who- 
ever was  the  author,  he  utters,  hundreds  of  years  before 
the  ear  of  man  is  ready  to  receive  it,  the  theme  which 
is  repeated  over  and  over  again  with  almost  infinite  va- 
riety in  the  writings  of  the  New  Testament.  Here, 
under  the  discipline  of  a  life  constantly  attentive  to  the 
whispers  of  God,  a  soul  has  received  and  given  to  the 
dull  heart  of  his  race  the  story  of  the  coming  incarnation, 
rejection,  voluntary  humiliation,  sacrificial  death,  and 
exaltation  of  the  servant  of  the  Lord. 

This  mysterious  Servant  is  one  of  the  striking  charac- 


J^  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

ters  standing  out  in  these  later  chapters  of  Isaiah. 
More  and  more  distinctly  he  appears,  until  in  this  chap- 
ter he  is  seen  with  that  full  and  sudden  vividness  that 
impresses  him  indelibly  on  the  memory.  No  one  who 
will  take  the  pains  to  read  slowly  through  these  final 
chapters  of  Isaiah  and  trace  the  references  to  the  Serv- 
ant can  finish  this  chapter  without  seeing  One  with 
marred  visage,  unattractively  attired,  gently  ministering 
in  uninteresting  by-ways;  stirring  the  conscience,  making 
one  uncomfortable  in  the  neglect  of  duty,  and  yet  so 
mildly  reproachful,  uttering  not  a  word,  simply  turning 
and  looking — such  a  look! — scorned,  hated,  forgotten, 
and  yet  not  forgotten  ;  burdened  with  a  heavy  burden, 
a  load  you  feel  you  ought  yourself  to  carry  ;  pierced 
with  an  unseen  thrust,  quivering,  still.  Your  eyes  are 
riveted  on  him.  There  is  a  change  ;  the  countenance  is 
bathed  in  light ;  it  itself  becomes  light ;  it  is  bright — 
brighter  than  the  gleam  of  snows.  The  eyes  rest  on 
yours  ;  you  feel  yourself  transformed  ;  shame  changes  to 
sorrow,  and  sorrow  to  joy.  He,  the  marred  One,  is 
"  clothed  with  a  garment  down  to  the  foot,  and  girt 
about  at  the  breasts  with  a  golden  girdle  .  .  .  And  his 
eyes  are  as  a  flame  of  fire  .  .  .  and  his  voice  as  the  voice 
of  many  waters." 

Who  is  he,  this  wondrous  personality  ? 

The  prophet  begins  that  description  of  him  with 
which  we  are  now  concerned  in  the  thirteenth  verse  of 
the  fifty-second  chapter.  These  last  verses  of  the  fifty- 
second  chapter  belong  with  the  fifty-third  chapter.  They 


THE  SUFFERING   SAVIOUR.  J,3 

contain  in  outline  what  the  fifty-third  chapter  gives  in 
more  detail.  We  will  begin  with  the  fuller  descrip- 
tion. 

"  Who  hath  believed  our  report  ?  and  to  wJiom  hath  the 
arm  of  the  Lord  been  revealed  ?  "  etc. 

No  one  in  the  day  when  the  Servant  appears  believes 
in  him  or  sees  in  his  acts  any  proof  that  the  "  Lord  hath 
made  bare  his  holy  arm  "  through  him,  and  is  with  him 
as  he  was  with  Moses  and  David.  He  comes  with  no 
pomp  or  show.  He  is  but  as  a  sucker  springing  from 
some  root  forgotten  in  the  dry  earth.  "  Is  not  this  the 
carpenter's  son?"  There  is  nothing  whatever  interest- 
ing about  him,  nothing  princely,  nothing  to  show  that 
he  is  servant  of  the  great  God.  He  is  simply  a  servant, 
a  menial.  Therefore,  the  people  despise  him,  and  when 
he  comes  to  give  them  his  message  they  will  have  noth- 
ing to  do  with  him.  "  They  rose  up,  and  cast  him  forth 
out  of  the  city,  and  led  liim  unto  the  brow  of  the  hill 
whereon  their  city  was  built,  that  they  might  throw  him 
down  headlong." 

His  whole  life  is  sad  ;  he  knows  grief  as  one  knows  a 
familiar  friend.  Like  Job,  he  is  forsaken  by  his  friends. 
They  will  not  even  look  on  him. 

So  far,  then,  Ave  get  this  answer  to  our  question. 
The  Servant  is  the  great  rejected  One,  One  who  ought 
not  to  have  been  rejected,  for  he  really  has  vital  connec- 
tion with  the  glorious  past  of  the  nation  ;  he  is  of  "  the 
root,"  he  belongs  to  the  household,  and  ought  to  have 
been  recognized. 


U  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

A  new  paragraph  gives  us  more  light. 

"  Surely  he  hath  borne  our  griefs,  and  carried  our  sor- 
rows :  yet  we  did  esteetn  him  stricken,  smitten  of  God,  and 
afflicted,'"  etc. 

He  is  One  whom  the  people  of  his  time  will  think,  and 
will  some  time  confess  that  they  thought,  a  special  ob- 
ject of  God's  wrath,  a  leper,  but  really  crushed  beneath 
a  load  of  griefs,  sorrows,  transgressions,  and  iniquities 
not  his  own,  but  theirs.  He  is  a  vicarious  sufferer — that 
is,  one  who  changes  places  with  another  {vicis,  the  Latin 
root  of  vicarious,  means  change),  and  takes  his  load 
upon  his  shoulders.  "  There  are  twelve  distinct  asser- 
tions of  vicarious  sufferings  in  this  chapter." 

These  burdens,  too,  are  not  guiltless  burdens,  for  the 
people  are  sinful,  willful  wanderers,  all  of  them.  Some- 
time they  will  confess 

"  1  was  a  wandering  sheep, 

I  did  not  love  the  fold, 
I  did  not  love  my  Shepherd's  voice, 

1  would  not  be  controlled." 

The  Servant,  then,  is  a  vicarious  sufferer. 

One  thought  is  added  here  which  is  developed  further 
on — the  thought  of  the  Golden  Text. 

Before  this  is  emphasized  a  third  paragraph  tells  us 
this  Servant  bore  his  load  meekly. 

"  He  was  oppressed,  yet  he  Jnimbled  himself  and  opened 
7iot  his  mouth,''  etc. 

He  went  voluntarily  to  his  doom.  "  I  lay  down  my 
life.  .  .  .  No  one  taketh  it  away  from  me,  but  I  lay  it 


THE   SUFFERING   SAVIOUR.  45 

down  of  myself."  Still,  the  manner  of  the  taking  of  his 
life  is  violent  and  unjust. 

"  Bj/  oppression  mid  judgment  he  was  taken  away'' 

And  now  a  man  of  the  far  off  time  is  represented  as 
saying,  for  the  whole  chapter  is  dramatic  and  has  many 
speakers :  "  Who  of  us  that  lived  in  his  day  considered 
that  he  was  put  to  death  because  of  our  sins?  " 

Then  the  awfulness  of  the  violence  is  dwelt  on,  for 
this  sinless,  vicarious  Victim  has  insult  added  to  his  in- 
jury ;  he  is  buried  with  the  wicked,  or  what  to  the  some- 
what ascetic  mind  of  the  prophet  amounts  to  the  same 
thing,  the  rich.     He  is  placed  in  an  unhallowed  grave. 

The  last  paragraph  opens  with  the  thought  noted  be- 
fore :  This  Servant  is  a  victim. 

"  It  pleased  the  Lord  to  bruise  him  ;  he  hath  put  him  to 
grtef. 

We  are  accumulating  evidence  as  to  who  this  myste- 
rious person  is — this  rejected  One,  a  son  of  the  house- 
hold, a  sorrowful  One,  the  bearer  of  the  grief  of  the  sin- 
ful ;  a  voluntary,  uncomplaining  victim,  bruised  of  God, 
yet  blameless. 

One  further  fact  is  mentioned.  This  Servant  is  final- 
ly exalted.  He  is  to  have  a  following  and  carry  for- 
ward prosperously  the  work  of  God.  He  is  to  be  wholly 
satisfied  in  spite  of  his  pain.  He  is  to  be  wise  in  the 
purpose  of  God  to  make  many  righteous  through  his  vi- 
carious sufferings,  and  by  his  knowledge  he  is  to  further 
this  end.  He  is  to  be  given  a  royal  rank  and  to  share 
in  the  glory  of  the  world. 


46  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

Who  is  this  Servant  of  the  Lord  ? 

Surely  not  the  younger  generation  of  the  Jewish  peo- 
ple, purified  by  the  Babylonian  captivity.  Such  an  an- 
swer is  absurd.  Surely  not  Jeremiah,  or  any  like  hero. 
This  is  inadequate.     Who  is  the  mysterious  One  ? 

This  was  the  question  the  Ethiopian  eunuch  asked 
himself  as  he  was  reading  this  chapter  in  his  chariot  on 
his  way  home  from  Jerusalem,  when  Philip  met  him  by 
the  appointment  of  the  Spirit.  What  would  we  not 
give  for  the  complete  record  of  Philip's  exposition  of 
these  verses  ?  We  have  enough,  however,  to  give  us 
the  answer  to  our  question.  "  Philip  opened  his  mouth, 
and  beginning  from  this  scripture  preached  unto  him 
Jesus."  Out  of  the  Spirit-guided  century  of  the  apostles 
our  question  is  answered. 

Jesus  is  the  Servant,  "  the  man  of  sorrows  and  ac- 
quainted with  grief,"  the  rejected  One,  the  vicarious  Vic- 
tim, the  glorified  One,  "  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of 
lords." 

This  chapter  is  full  of  Jesus.  It  tells  us  of  his  incar- 
nation, his  agony,  and  his  victory.  It  is  the  prophecy 
of  the  great  confession  when 

"  Sinners,  whose  love  can  ne'er  forget 

The  wormwood  and  the  gall, 
Shall  spread  their  trophies  at  his  feet. 

And  crown  him  Lord  of  all.'' 

A  multitude  of  practical  applications  of  the  truths  in 
these  verses  crowd  in  upon  one.  Only  two  that  spring 
from  the  Golden  Text  can  be  mentioned ; 


THE  SUFFERING   SAVIOUR.  Ifl 

1.  What  an  awful  thing  is  sin  that  makes  it  possible 
that  such  a  burden  of  woe  and  pain  can  be  laid  upon  a 
loving  soul.  Nothing  brings  out  the  exceeding  sinful- 
ness of  sin  more  vividly  than  this  picture  of  its  blame- 
less victim.  This  story  of  the  cross  repeated  over  and 
over  will  yet  awaken  the  world  and  cause  it  to  cry  out : 
"We  all.  .  .  have  gone  astray."  There  is  no  medita- 
tion more  helpful  to  the  soul  that  desires  to  see  its  true 
state  in  sin  and  to  be  filled  with  a  loathing  for  sin  than 
a  meditation  on  these  words.  It  will  profoundly  stir 
one  and  be  a  curb  on  the  unruly  passions,  a  purifier  of 
the  intents  of  the  heart.  It  will  open  the  fountains  of 
tears  and  lead  to  that  contrite  sorrow  which  satisfies  the 
Lord  for  the  travail  of  his  soul. 

2.  Here  is  the  great  evangelical  message :  "  The 
Lord  hath  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all."  When  the 
apostle  Paul  grasps  this  glad  gospel  he  shouts  :  "  There 
is  therefore  now  no  condemnation  to  them  that  are  in 
Christ  Jesus." 

The  awakened  soul  feels  the  need  of  a  sacrifice.  No 
one  ever  comes  to  himself  after  a  wrong  act  or  series  of 
actions  without  instinctively  thinking  of  what  he  can  do, 
what  he  can  offer  to  God  whom  he  has  wronged  as  an 
atonement  for  his  sin.  This  instinct  of  the  soul  ought 
not  to  be  weakened.  It  is  right  and  true.  Any  form 
that  it  may  take  under  a  false  system  of  religion  is  less 
hurtful  than  the  absence  of  it  altogether.  Better  the 
butter  offerings  of  the  priests  of  Thibet  and  the  gifts  of 
the  guilt-conscious  woman  of  India  to  her  idol  than  the 


4S  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

utterly   empty   hand  of    the    cultivated   sneerer  against 

superstition.     An  offering  is  needed,  and  every  awakened 

sinner    should    have    this    pressed    upon    his   attention. 

His  instinct  should  be  assisted,  and  not  hindered,  in  its 

exercise.     But  what  shall  we  give  ?      With  what    shall 

we  fill  our  hands?     Shall  we  bring  lambs  or  turtle-doves 

and  pigeons  ?    No ;  our  word  tells  us  *'  the  Lord  hath  laid 

on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all."     We  are  to  take  him  as 

our  sacrifice.     Our  lips  may  repeat    for  our  hearts  the 

words : 

"  I  lay  my  sins  on  Jesus, 

The  spotless  Lamb  of  God  ; 
He  bears  them  all,  and  frees  us 

From  the  accursfed  load  : 
I  bring  my  guilt  to  Jesus, 

To  wash  my  crimson  stains 
White  in  his  blood  most  precious. 

Till  not  a  stain  remains." 

In  this  glad  song  our  burdened  hearts  will  find  relief, 
and  the  endless  joy  of  the  blood-purchased  life  begin. 

W.  I.  Haven. 


THE  GRACIOUS  CALL,  49 


VI. 

THE  GRACIOUS   CALL. 

Isa.  Iv,  1-13. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— Seek  ye  the  Lord  while  he  may  be  found,  call 
ye  upon  him  while  he  is  near.     Isa.  Iv,  6. 

The  evangelical  prophet  in  this  chapter  rises  to  some 
of  his  most  impressive  utterances.  The  tenderness  of 
the  appeals,  the  strength  and  beauty  of  the  language,  the 
searching  quality  of  the  truth,  make  it  a  remarkable  pas- 
sage in  prophetic  Scripture.  The  majestic  movement  of 
Isaiah's  mind  is  felt  even  in  this  brief  chapter,  just  as  the 
water  of  the  bay  opening  out  into  the  sea  feels  the  pul- 
sations that  stir  the  entire  Atlantic.  Poetry  with  its 
imagery  is  here.  Historic  allusion — a  secure  basis  for 
predictive  statement — is  here.  Prophecy  brightens  the 
glowing  strains  with  its  story  of  the  better  time  to  come. 
There  is  in  this  passage  that  mystical  quality  which 
wide-reaching  spiritual  conceptions  often  have.  There 
are  also  direct,  pungent  statements  of  practical  truth 
fitted  to  stir  the  conscience  and  rouse  the  religious  feel- 
ing. Every  variety  of  appeal  is  here,  from  "the  still 
small  voice  "  of  gracious  entreaty  to  the  trumpet-like 
announcement  of  final  victory  for  the  Church  of  God. 

I.    T/te  Invitation.     The  Old  Testament  and  the  New 

alike  say.  Come.     "  The  Spirit  and  the  bride  say,  Come." 
3 


50  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

Prophets,  apostles,  and,  above  all,  the  Redeemer  him- 
self invite  a  weary,  heavy-laden,  thirsting,  hungering 
world  to  come  to  the  Fountain  of  life,  to  the  Bread 
from  heaven.  Physical  needs  are  put  as  figures  for 
spiritual  want.  Hunger  and  thirst  must  be  satisfied  or 
the  body  perishes.  The  famishing  soul  must  be  supplied 
or  spiritual  death  ensues.  The  prophet  points  to  the 
herds  and  vineyards  of  Palestine  in  his  allusion  as  types 
of  the  abundant,  life-giving  grace  which  God  has  to  be- 
stow upon  fainting  souls  who  will  simply  come  to  him. 
The  transaction  is  taken  far  above  the  plane  of  the  mar- 
ket-place. "  Money  "  and  "price  "  are  not  in  this  high 
reckoning  by  which  immortal  souls  are  redeemed.  Sal- 
vation is  above  all  commercial  interests,  language,  and 
law.  The  impoverished  sinner  is  bidden  to  partake  of 
inexhaustible  supplies  freely  and  forever. 

2.  The  Rebuke.  The  reproof,  delicately  but  forcefully 
expressed  in  the  second  verse,  is  against  the  folly  of  men 
who  lavish  money  upon  things  which  do  not  nourish  the 
real  life,  and  which  when  bought  leave  the  buyer  restless 
and  unsatisfied.  This  is  the  story  of  worldly  desire. 
Feverish  longing  for  gain,  for  glittering,  material,  perish- 
able objects,  is  a  desire  which  is  never  fully  appeased. 
Indulgence  only  stimulates  the  covetous  spirit,  which 
grows  more  and  more  ravenous. 

It  is  as  foolish  to  spend  and  labor  for  that  which 
does  not  feed  and  strengthen  the  essential  life  as  it  would 
be  to  buy  stones  for  bread.  Land  and  gold  and  wealth 
and    honors   are    that    which    "  satisfieth  not  "  the  real 


THE  GRACIOUS  CALL.  51 

hunger  of  an  immortal  soul.  Then  the  rebuke  changes 
to  exhortation.  A  better  way  is  opened.  Let  desires 
wait  upon  God.  Lift  the  powers  of  mind  and  heart 
toward  his  riches.  Begin  to  feed  on  heavenly  manna. 
Hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness.  Covet  earnestly 
the  best  gifts.  Lay  hold,  by  all  the  loftier  appetites  of 
the  soul,  upon  eternal  things ;  then  a  great  wholesome 
satisfaction  takes  the  place  of  the  old  fitful  fever.  Life 
grows  rich.  Faith,  love,  holiness,  heavenly-mindedness 
crowd  out  the  former  worldly  desires.  The  shriveled 
worldling  becomes  the  peaceful,  happy  saint. 

3.  The  Threefold  Pozuer  of  the  Divine  Guide.  The 
primary  allusion  in  the  third  and  fourth  verses  is  evi- 
dently to  David  and  the  covenant  which  Jehovah  had 
established  between  himself  and  the  chosen  nation  which 
David  had  brought  to  its  proud  place  as  a  victorious 
people.  But  it  is  a  passage,  like  many  others  in  pro- 
phetic writing,  which  is  as  evidently  applicable  to  the 
Messianic  Person  for  whom  David  and  his  kingdom  were 
but  foreshadowing  types. 

The  great  gift  of  God  to  the  world  is  his  Son.  He 
proclaimed  himself  as  a  Witness.  Truths  which  before 
he  came  had  been  only  dreamed  of  or  hoped  for  became, 
by  Christ's  testimony,  the  foundation  of  the  world's  faith. 
He  came  out  from  God  ;  so  that  all  he  said  about  God 
and  the  divine  purposes  is  the  testimony  of  a  true  and 
faithful  witness.  He  is  also  a  Leader.  He  goes  before 
his  disciples  in  the  path  of  obedience  and  self-sacrifice, 
and  says,  Come,  follow  me.     He  leads  the  nations   in 


52  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

their  progress.  Christianity  is  foremost  in  all  the  best 
advances  that  civilization  makes.  He  is  a  Commander. 
He  spoke  not  as  the  scribes  in  his  earthly  ministry,  not 
with  hesitation,  nor  for  the  sake  of  sect  or  school,  but 
u'ith  authority — an  authority  which  his  own  majestic 
character  enforced.  The  scene  upon  the  tempestuous 
Sea  of  Galilee,  when  he  commanded  winds  and  waves 
to  be  still,  or  the  scene  in  the  Temple  courts,  when  he 
put  to  flight  a  crowd  of  shameless,  sacrilegious  money- 
changers, give  us  glimpses  of  the  commanding  dignity 
and  power  which  slumbered  behind  the  humility  of  his 
earthly  bearing. 

4.  The  Call  to  Paganism.  Through  the  somewhat  ob- 
scure language  of  the  fifth  verse  we  have  at  least  a  hint 
of  the  great  truth  which  Hebrew  history  embodies.  Is- 
rael, with  all  its  isolation  and  exclusiveness,  was  never- 
theless the  custodian  of  a  revelation  for  all  nations.  Its 
sacred  book,  its  completed  and  glorified  law,  its  Prophet, 
Priest,  and  King,  who  consummated  the  best  things  of 
Jewish  history  in  his  person  and  work,  all  have  a  world- 
wide interest.  The  desire  of  all  nations  is  for  just  the 
religion  which  the  Jewish-Christian  revelation  discloses. 
No  kindred,  people,  or  race  will  be  satisfied  until  it  has 
"  run  unto  "  the  Saviour  and  acknowledged  him  and  his 
truth.  The  East,  with  its  Oriental  type  of  life — contem- 
plative, reverent,  yearning — is  to  come  to  Christ.  The 
West,  with  its  vigorous,  aggressive  forms  of  activity, 
must  run  toward,  not  away  from,  the  Redeemer,  if  it 
would  be  safe  in  all  its  splendid  movements  of  intelligence 


THE  GRACIOUS  CALL.  53 

and  of  power.  The  North  and  the  South — opposite 
poles  of  human  life — the  white  and  the  black,  the  Alas- 
kan and  the  African,  are  all  described  under  the  pro- 
phetic vision  as  turning  to  this  central  figure  of  human 
history,  running  to  meet  the  King  of  kings  whom  we 
love  to  call — the  Christ. 

5.  ^'Seek,  and  Ye  SJiall  Findy  We  are  constantly  re- 
minded of  gospel  language  in  this  stirring  passage : 
Seek  not  money  nor  power,  but  seek  the  Lord,  who  holds 
all  riches  and  might  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand.  The 
searching  heart  need  never  lose  courage  in  its  search,  for 
it  is  sure  to  find  him  who  is  near  to  just  such  souls.  But 
he  may  not  always  be  so  readily  found  as  now,  in  this 
accepted  time.  This  is  the  warning  implied.  God  is 
far  away  from  the  hardened,  persistent  wanderer  who 
will  not  look  for  God ;  this  is  the  apparent  attitude  of 
God,  but  even  in  these  conditions  it  is  the  human  dis- 
obedience that  makes  the  separation.  But  to  most  men 
he  is  near.  His  Spirit  broods  over  them,  draws  upon 
them  by  his  tender  ministries.  He  is  near  men  by  his 
providential  watch-care,  by  the  messages  which  come 
from  earth  and  sky,  from  the  still  voice  within,  from  rev- 
elation, and  the  impressive  ordinances  of  the  Church. 
These  voices  of  divinity  speak  to  the  deep  needs  of  the 
soul.  The  prophet  appeals  tenderly  and  warningly  to 
men  not  to  let  this  divine  Friend  who  "besets  us  behind 
and  before  "  pass  beyond  the  reach  of  their  prayers  while 
they  are  indifferent,  disobedient,  and  unloving.  As  the 
loadstone  flies  to  the  magnet,  so  ought  the  human  soul, 


54  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

with  unresting  eagerness,  to  press  toward  the  life  and 
love  of  God.  If  it  has  sinned,  the  fact  of  sin  to  be  for- 
given should  only  add  wings  to  its  returning  flight  as  it 
comes  penitently  to  Him  who  longs  to  forgive. 

6.  Contrast  Betzvecn  God  and  Man.  It  is  very  natural 
for  us  to  project  our  human  notions  upon  the  divine 
mind,  making  our  ways  his  ways,  our  thoughts  his 
thoughts.  The  fact  is  that  the  Infinite  is  utterly  beyond 
human  power  to  conceive.  We  have  a  little  knowledge 
of  him,  for  he  has  condescended  to  our  low  estate.  His 
self-limitation  has  graciously  bridged  the  gulf  which  sep- 
arates finite  from  infinite.  It  is  not  the  Absolute  whom 
we  struggle  to  apprehend,  but  a  self-revealing  Father. 
Thus  his  majesty,  his  omnipotence,  his  omniscience  are 
all  the  more  adorable  since  we  have  knowledge  of  his 
love.  With  this  conception  as  a  basis  of  knowledge 
upon  which  we  can  rest — that  God  is  love — the  other 
fact  which  the  prophet  brings  out  is  not  dreary  or  dis- 
couraging ;  we  even  rest  with  great  confidence  upon  the 
truth  that  his  infinite  wisdom  overreaches  our  fretful, 
anxious  life ;  his  invincible  power  undergirds  all  our  ex- 
periences. We  beat  about  in  our  little  circles  ;  he  calmly 
rules  from  his  everlasting  throne.  There  is  wonderful 
repose  for  the  human  heart  as  it  settles  with  profound 
conviction  upon  the  comforting  doctrine  of  divine  sov- 
ereignty. 

7.  The  Fruitfulness  of  God's  Grace.  The  law  which 
rules  for  the  grain  of  the  field  is  an  illustration  of  the  law 
which  controls  in   spiritual  things.     The   sower  is  not 


THE  GRACIOUS  CALL.  55 

more  confident  of  the  effects  of  the  early  and  latter  rain 
than  the  child  of  God  may  be  in  the  power  of  divine 
grace  to  quicken  the  germs  of  spiritual  life  in  his  heart. 
Earth  and  sky  co-operate  for  the  golden  results  of  the 
harvests;  two  worlds  unite  their  forces  for  the  com- 
plete manifestations  of  Christian  character.  It  cannot 
be  evolved  by  merely  human  skill  or  will.  Righteous- 
ness of  the  true  type  comes  from  above.  It  is  the  word 
of  God  that  is  the  fructifying  power.  The  truth  which 
has  gone  forth  through  prophets  and  apostles  and  from 
the  lips  of  Christ  was  spoken  with  divine  wisdom  for  the 
salvation  of  the  world.  It  will  not  fail  to  accomplish 
the  glorious  work  of  salvation.  Men  grow  weary  and 
disheartened  ;  the  word  lives  on,  works  on  in  its  own 
resistless  way.  Human  ignorance  sometimes  misinter- 
prets the  word,  preachers  fail  to  declare  the  whole  coun- 
sel of  God  ;  yet  its  truth  will  finally  shine  out  upon  the 
world  clear  as  the  sun.  There  are  periods  of  confusion 
and  conflict  when  the  region  of  dogma  seems  unsettled ; 
but  the  word  stands  secure,  for  at  least  human  thought 
is  sure  to  rest  confidently  upon  its  everlasting  truth. 
Substitutes  for  the  word  are  often  tried  ;  but  these,  when 
the  tests  of  human  experience  come  upon  them,  are  "  like 
the  chaff  which  the  wind  driveth  away."  The  word  of 
God  abideth  forever. 

8.  T/ie  Joyful  Victory.  The  last  two  verses  of  the 
chapter  have  the  cadence,  the  imagery,  the  antithetical 
force  of  a  masterpiece  in  sacred  poetry.  We  are  not 
told  when  the  glorious  results  foretokened  here  shall  take 


56  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

place.  But  the  slow  march  of  our  race  onward  toward  a 
better  condition  is  certainly  made  signilicant,  though 
weary  and  full  of  pain,  when  such  illuminating  pictures 
of  the  outcome  are  held  up  to  the  thought  of  the  world. 
It  will  not  always  be  battle  and  confusion,  with  many  a 
defeat  and  backset  for  the  cause  of  right.  There  will  be 
a  mighty  triumph  by  and  by.  Joy  and  peace  will  reign 
instead  of  misery  and  war.  Even  the  dumb  hills  will  be 
vocal  with  the  echoing  gladness  that  will  fill  the  air. 
The  solemn  mountains  will  vibrate  to  the  world's  great 
anthem  of  victory.  The  trees  will  be  applauding  wit- 
nesses. Nature  will  respond  to  the  jubilant  hearts  of 
redeemed  men.  A  transformed  earth  is  the  promised 
accompaniment  of  a  regenerated  race. 

O  blessed  prophecy  !  We  will  wait  and  work  and 
hope  and  pray  that  the  time  may  be  hastened  when 
"thorns"  and  "briers  "  shall  be  plucked  out  of  human 
hearts  forever,  and  the  earth,  with  all  its  fullness,  shall 

be  the  Lord's. 

William  E.  Huntington. 


THE  NEW  COVENANT.  57 


VII. 
THE  NEW  COVENANT. 

Jer.  xxxi,  27-37. 

GOLDEN  TEXT 1  will  forgive  their  iniquity,  and  1  will  remem- 
ber their  sin  no  more.    Jer.  xxxi,  34. 

This  passage  might  fittingly  be  called  the  Gospel 
before  Christ.  It  had  not  only  an  immediate  applica- 
tion, but  also  a  far-away  reference,  then  not  clearly  un- 
derstood, now  plainly  seen.  Take  out  Christ,  as  repre- 
sented in  types,  figures,  and  prophecy,  from  the  old,  or 
first,  covenant,  and  it  becomes  worthless  and  lifeless.  The 
basis  of  this  new  Messianic  covenant  is  found  in  the  dec- 
laration, "  I  will  forgive  their  iniquity,  and  I  will  re- 
member their  sin  no  more."  The  new  covenant  accom- 
plishes that  nearness  to  God  which  the  old  but  promises. 
How  strikingly  all  the  things  foreshadowed  are  fulfilled 
in  Christ. 

Upon  a  dark  background  the  prophet  throws  this  mar- 
velous picture.  Like  a  gleam  of  sunshine  through  storm- 
clouds  these  words  light  up  the  surrounding  gloom. 
They  form  a  bow  of  promise  to  troubled  hearts. 

Israel,  through  failure  to  keep  the  first  covenant,  had 

become  subject  to  the  King  of  Babylon.     Many  of  her 

citizens  Avere  languishing  as  exiles  in  that  far-away  land. 

Those  remaining  regarded  not   the  claims  of  Jehovah. 
3* 


58  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

Zedekiah,  a  well-meaning  but  weak  prince,  sat  upon  the 
throne,  a  servant  of  Nebuchadnezzar.  Attempting  to 
throw  off  the  foreign  yoke,  a  large  army  soon  encamped 
before  Jerusalem  to  compel  submission.  The  outcome 
was  plainly  declared  by  the  prophet,  who  counseled  im- 
mediate surrender.  Zedekiah,  however,  feared  his  court- 
iers, while  they  hated  Jeremiah,  because  he  continued 
to  proclaim  to  the  people  that  longer  resistance  would  be 
fruitless.  His  life  was  in  constant  jeopardy,  while  the 
people  suffered  great  distress  with  the  prospect  of  noth- 
ing better  than  death  or  exile  before  them.  In  the  end 
the  land  was  laid  waste,  her  cities  were  torn  down,  her 
flocks  and  inhabitants  carried  away  by  the  invader.  The 
prophet,  in  a  vision,  sees  a  better  day  coming,  when  God 
shall  again  enter  into  covenant  relations  with  his  people. 
This  prophecy  forms  the  text  of  this  lesson. 

On  examination  we  find  : 

I.  A  Period  of  Preparation.  God  is  never  in  a  hurry. 
When  all  things  are  ready  he  speaks,  he  acts,  he  sends 
the  blessing  the  people  are  prepared  to  receive.  Before 
the  covenant  is  announced  Israel  is  to  be  returned  ;  the 
land  is  to  be  replenished  ;  the  waste  places  are  to  be 
builded.  In  those  days  her  prosperity  shall  be  greater 
than  in  former  years.  As  Job  was  enriched  in  his  old 
age  beyond  all  that  he  had  at  the  beginning,  so  Israel 
shall  be  more  fruitful. 

The  return  from  Babylon  but  in  part  fulfills  the  pre- 
diction. It  is  an  earnest  of  the  full  and  final  blessing 
which  is  future.     When  the  days  of  chastisement  were 


THE  NEW  COVENANT.  59 

past  the  Jews  returned  in  spite  of  all  opposition.  When 
God  put  it  into  the  heart  of  Nehemiah  to  rebuild  the 
walls  of  Jerusalem,  no  Sanballat  or  Tobiah  was  sufficient 
to  cause  the  work  to  cease.  The  restoration  of  Jerusalem 
was  a  marvel  to  those  who  heard  of  it,  and  its  final  res- 
urrection will  be  one  of  the  grandest  achievements  of 
history.  He  who  had  faithfully  carried  out  the  con- 
ditions of  the  old  covenant,  resulting  in  their  overthrow 
and  dispersion,  because  of  disobedience,  will  as  faithfully 
watch  over  them  to  build  up  and  renew  as  they  obe- 
diently serve  him. 

In  the  light  of  accomplished  facts  the  significance  of 
unfulfilled  prophecy  may  be  realized.  So  these  exiles 
came  at  last  to  find  comfort  in  the  promise  that  had  ac- 
companied the  menaces  now  so  clearly  fulfilled.  Two 
things  had  been  predicted.  The  first  is  now  accom- 
plished. This  they  could  not  doubt.  Does  not  this 
warrant  faith  that  God  will  in  his  own  time  restore  them 
again  to  the  joys  and  blessings  of  their  own  land  ?  What 
a  pity  that  some  eyes  can  be  opened  only  by  suffering ! 
We  should  remember  that  God  watches  overmen  in  their 
sin  and  wrong-doing  as  surely  as  in  their  uprightness. 

Punishment  is  grounded  in  individual  guilt.  The  Is- 
raelites bewailed  the  sins  of  their  fathers  on  account  of 
which  they  suffer,  saying,  "  The  fathers  have  eaten  a 
sour  grape,  and  the  children's  teeth  are  set  on  edge." 
Our  fathers  did  wrong,  we  suffer  for  it.  How  easy  to  lay 
the  blame  on  others  and  to  excuse  ourselves  !  Men  com- 
plain of  their  ill-luck  and  bad  chance,  as  they  are  pleased 


60  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

to  call  them,  till  they  speak  against  God,  saying  his  ways 
are  unequal,  partial,  unfair. 

It  is  true  that  God  visits  the  sins  of  the  fathers  upon 
the  children  to  the  third  and  fourth  generations  ;  but  of 
whom  ?  Of  them  that  hate  him.  If  a  nation  or  family 
become  base  or  profligate  they  soon  perish.  How  many 
nations,  families,  individuals  have  sunk  out  of  sight,  being 
worthless.  But  if  nations  turn  from  their  sins — as  Nin- 
eveh— if  children  hate  the  evil  which  caused  the  fathers 
to  suffer,  God  is  merciful.  If  punishment  has  worked  out 
repentance  and  amendment,  it  ceases,  for  its  work  is 
done.  While  this  proverb  is  most  certainly  true,  and  we 
are  constantly  witnesses  of  its  truth  in  those  with  whom 
we  associate,  and  possibly  in  our  own  experience,  still  it 
is  not  to  be  used  to  justify  ourselves  in  our  present  con- 
dition. God's  plan  involves  the  best  for  every  individ- 
ual. To  declare  ourselves  wrecked  and  ruined  because 
of  inherited  fetters  is  to  believe  a  lie  and  lose  faith  in 
God.  Every  man  has  the  working  out  of  life  in  his  own 
hands.  Every  one  shall  die  for  his  own  iniquity.  Now, 
if  I  perish  I  have  no  one  to  blame  but  myself. 

2.  The  New  Covenant  Declared.  The  word  covenant 
frequently  refers  to  promises  made  to  Abraham  and  his 
immediate  descendants.  Its  most  important  use,  how- 
ever, relates  to  the  two  dispensations  known  as  the  old 
and  the  new  ;  the  one  referring  to  the  law,  the  other  to 
the  Gospel. 

(i)  Who  are  embraced  in  its  provisions?  A  united 
Israel.     If  this  covenant  be  understood  to  be  made  pri- 


THE  NEW  COVENANT.  61 

marily  with  a  literal  Israel  and  Judah,  in  a  secondary- 
sense,  at  least,  it  must  refer  to  the  spiritual  Israel. 

(2)  T/ie  old  and  7ieiv  covenants  contrasted.  The  old 
covenant  was  given  to  God's  chosen  people  through 
Moses,  and  had  to  do  chiefly  with  such  outward  cere- 
monies and  observances  as  the  law  enjoined.  Because 
of  man's  disregard  of  its  conditions  it  only  "  worked 
wrath."  In  its  scope  it  was  preparative,  symbolic,  and 
limited.  Man  found  himself  utterly  unable  to  keep  the 
obligations  which  it  imposed.  This  prepared  the  way 
for  a  more  willing  acceptance  of  God's  new  provision  in 
Christ. 

The  new  covena7it  "  was  made  through  Christ,  sealed 
by  his  own  blood,  and  secures  to  every  believer  the  bless- 
ings of  salvation  and  eternal  life."  It  consists  in  the 
gracious  bestowal  of  good  upon  man. 

I.)  It  is  essentially  inward  and  spiritual.  It  is  no 
longer  an  outward  law  inscribed  on  stone,  but  an  inner, 
spiritual  truth  written  on  the  conscience,  leading  to  quick 
obedience  in  outward  details.  Under  the  old  covenant 
God  took  his  people  by  the  hand  to  instruct  them.  But 
they  regarded  not  God,  so  God  justly  regarded  them  not. 
Under  the  new  covenant  he  will  put  his  laws  into  their 
minds.  They  shall  now  be  influenced  by  principles  of 
law  and  truth.  They  shall  receive  such  an  illumination 
as  will  enable  them  to  comprehend  their  meaning.  His 
laws  will  be  stamped  on  men's  hearts ;  not  the  heart  of 
stone,  but  the  new  heart  of  flesh.  There  is  a  change  in 
man  as  well  as  in  God's  covenant.     No  change  can  count 


63  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

SO  much  for  a  man  as  that  which  changes  him.  "  Anew 
heart  will  I  give  you."  Having  changed  the  man,  the 
world  is  changed.  The  affections  are  turned  into  new 
channels — to  regard  spiritual  objects.  The  passions  and 
appetites  are  purified.  What  once  was  hated  is  now 
loved  ;  what  once  was  loved  is  now  loathed.  A  new 
motive — love,  born  of  the  forgiveness  of  sins — enables  us 
to  fulfill  the  law,  and  a  new  impulse  is  given  by  the 
Spirit's  indwelling. 

2.)  Its  conditions.  I  will  be  your  God.  Ye  shall  be 
my  people.  From  him  the  people  shall  receive  light, 
direction,  defense,  support,  and  happiness.  God's  pres- 
ence means  all  this.  They  being  his  people,  it  is  implied 
that  as  such  they  will  serve  him  v/ith  all  their  hearts ; 
that  they  will  be  obedient  to  all  his  commands ;  that 
they  will  have  no  other  object  of  worship.  If  any  of 
these  conditions  be  disregarded  the  covenant  becomes 
null  and  void. 

3.)  Its  results.  Under  the  old  covenant  knowledge 
must  be  sought  from  the  priest.  Under  the  new  cove- 
nant every  believer  has  God's  revelation  and  receives 
light  directly  from  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  does  not  ex- 
clude the  teaching  of  one  by  another  while  the  provis- 
ions of  the  new  covenant  are  being  made  known.  But 
when  once  the  Holy  Spirit  shall  have  taught  all  the 
gracious  truths  of  the  Gospel  there  will  be  no  further 
need  of  man  teaching  his  fellow-man.  Until  that  day 
shall  dawn  it  is  the  duty  of  every  believer  to  do  what 
can  be  done,  that  all  may  know  these  wonderful  facts. 


THE  NEW  COVENANT.  63 

"  The  teaching  is  not  hard  and  forced,  because  grace 
renders  all  teachable ;  for  it  is  not  the  ministry  of  the 
letter,  but  of  the  spirit.  The  believer's  firmness  does 
not  depend  on  the  authority  of  human  teachers.  God 
himself  teaches." 

The  wide  diffusion  of  the  Bible  among  men  is  evidence 
that  this  prophecy  is  fast  being  fulfilled.  If  present  in- 
dications are  not  misleading,  the  generation  now  living 
will  see  the  day  when  all  shall  have  the  privilege  of  hear- 
ing the  Gospel  or  of  reading  for  themselves  God's  new 
covenant  with  man.  This  truth  not  only  prophet  and 
apostle  often  emphasized,  but  we  find  it  in  the  rabbins 
as  well.  "  When  the  days  of  the  Messiah  shall  approach 
even  the  little  children  in  this  world  shall  find  out  the 
hidden  things  of  wisdom  ;  and  in  that  time  all  things 
shall  be  revealed  to  all  men."  Again  :  "  There  shall  be 
no  time  like  this  till  the  Messiah  comes ;  and  then  the 
knowledge  of  God  shall  be  found  in  every  part  of  the 
world."  Is  not  this  the  gracious  day  when  many  run  to 
and  fro  and  knowledge  is  increased  ;  when  every  nation 
is  open  to  the  Gospel,  and  every  man  hears  in  his  own 
tongue  wherein  he  was  born? 

4.)  Its  basis.  Forgiveness  of  sins  will  be  the  root  of 
this  new  state  of  grace.  This  is  made  possible  by  the 
death  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  covenant  sacrifice.  His  blood 
has  purchased  redemption,  and  faith  brings  remission. 
So  in  Christ  sin  is  no  longer  remembered. 

3.  The  Continuance  and  Stability  of  this  Covenant  Af- 
firmed.    The  old  covenant  was  rendered  null  by  the 


64  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

disobedience  of  the  people.  May  not  this  in  like  manner 
become  void?     No;  its  permanence  is  shown: 

(i)  By  a  reference  to  what  had  already  been  done. 
God's  fingers  fashioned  the  firmament,  and  the  sea 
obeyed  his  voice.  He  placed  in  the  heavens  the  sun, 
moon,  and  stars.  By  a  breath  of  his  mouth  he  caused 
the  sea  to  roar.  He  is  able  to  perform  what  he  has 
promised.  He  is  the  God  of  hosts.  All  created  things 
are  obedient  to  his  will.  As  surely  as  these  ordinances 
shall  remain  God's  covenant  shall  abide.  This  is  an 
everlasting  covenant  which  shall  never  be  destroyed. 
God  will  regard  his  own  word  rather  than  the  people's 
merit.  The  preservation  of  Israel  as  a  distinct  people, 
notwithstanding  the  repeated  persecutions  they  have 
suffered,  remains  the  standing  miracle  of  the  ages.  And 
God  will  no  more  destroy  Israel  as  a  distinct  people  than 
he  will  blot  out  the  lights  of  the  material  universe. 

(2)  Its  permanejice  is  enforced  by  a  reference  to  the 
impossibility  of  man's  measuring  the  heavens  above  or 
of  searching  the  depths  below.  No  more  inconceivable 
is  this  than  that  God  should  cast  off  his  people.  They 
sinned  grievously;  yes,  "but  where  sin  abounded,  grace 
did  much  more  abound."  The  jeweler,  in  setting  precious 
stones,  often  spreads  beneath  them  a  dark  substance  in 
order  to  throw  out  and  heighten  their  brilliancy.  So 
here  God's  wonderful  love  is  more  clearly  seen  when  we 
remember  the  sins  of  the  people. 

What  a  gracious  privilege  to  live  in  this  day  of  fulfill- 
ment ;  in  the  day  when  Christ  so  sweetly  talks  with  us 


THE  NEW  COVENANT.  65 

that  we  may  know  that  we  have  "  redemption  through 
his  blood,  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  according  to  the  riches 
of  his  grace."  We  will  gather  all  the  riches  of  this 
world,  both  of  mind  and  matter,  and  lay  them  down  at 
his  feet,  for  "  *  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to  re- 
ceive might  and  majesty,  riches  and  power,  honor  and 
glory  ;'  his  is  the  scepter,  his  is  the  right,  his  this  univer- 
sal world." 

Wilbur  S.  Smithers. 


66  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 


VIII. 
JEHOIAKIM'S    WICKEDNESS. 

Jer.  xxxvi,  19-31. 

GOLDEN    TEXT.— To-day   if  ye  will  hear  hiis  voice,  harden   not 
your  hearts.     Heb.  iii,  15. 

Jehoiakim  took  a  manuscript  copy  of  inspired  words 
— supposed  to  have  been  a  portion  of  our  present 
Bible — cut  it  in  pieces  defiantly,  threw  the  fragments  in- 
to a  fire,  and  burned  them.  It  was  the  only  copy  in 
existence.  It  was  written  to  benefit  himself  and  his 
countrymen.  He  scorned  the  instruction  and  warning, 
and  intended  to  put  the  Scripture  where  it  would  never 
come  to  him  again.  After  the  destruction  of  the  scroll 
he  ordered  the  death  of  the  men  who  had  prepared  it. 
This  was  Jehoiakim 's  wickedness.  All  the  notoriety 
attaching  to  his  name  arose  from  this  act.  It  is  the  one 
solitary  thing  for  which  he  is  remembered.  Better  be 
forgotten  than  live  in  history  on  account  of  iniquity! 
This  is  the  earliest  record  of  the  burning  of  the  Bible;  and 
for  bold  and  shameless  impiety  it  has  never  been  out- 
done. Jehoiakim  succeeded  in  reducing  the  roll  to  ashes, 
but  he  failed  to  find  the  men  who  wrote  it  and  who 
could  duplicate  it.  They  were  safe  and  God  was  caring 
for  them. 

The  man  who  committed  this  wickedness  was  a  king. 


JEHOIAKIM'S   WICKEDNESS.  67 

The  most  favored  people  on  earth  were  his  subjects. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-five  he  had  inherited  the  advan- 
tages, honors,  and  responsibilities  of  one  of  the  highest 
positions  in  the  world.  He  sat  on  the  throne  of  David 
and  Solomon.  He  could  have  done  great  good  and  won 
lasting  fame.  Responsibility  is  calculated  to  develop 
good  character.  He  ought  to  have  been  a  good  man 
and  refrained  from  impiety  for  the  sake  of  his  people  as 
well  as  himself.  But  there  is  no  position  so  high  as  to 
be  above  the  reach  of  temptation.  No  external  advan- 
tages are  a  sure  defense  against  sin.  Men  may  fall  from 
the  loftiest  places  into  the  depths  of  ruin.  Jehoiakim 
had  the  further  advantage  of  being  the  son  of  a  noble 
sire.  His  father,  Josiah,  made  his  reign  glorious  both 
for  piety  and  prosperity.  He  raised  the  kingdom  of 
Judah  to  a  better  estate  than  he  found  it.  He  be- 
queathed a  restored  temple  service,  a  revived  religion, 
and  an  example  of  devotion  to  God.  If  any  persons 
have  unusual  reasons  for  being  righteous  and  God-fear- 
ing it  is  those  who  have  been  born  and  reared  in  good 
homes.  The  greater  is  their  guilt  if  they  commit 
wickedness.  Jehoiakim  had  come  to  the  throne  about 
five  years  before  the  burning  of  the  sacred  manuscript. 
His  crowning  was  a  little  irregular  and  suggestive.  The 
people  did  not  choose  him  king.  Although  he  was  the 
eldest  son  they  preferred  a  younger  brother.  It  is  not 
creditable  to  a  young  person  to  be  distrusted  by  those 
around  him.  And  those  who  do  not  win  confidence  and 
favor  in  one  position  will  not  speedily  be  called  to  a 


68  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

higher.  This  man  sided  with  a  bad  political  party — the 
Egyptian.  It  was  made  up  of  those  who  favored  alli- 
ance with  Egypt.  King  Josiah  opposed  that  party,  and 
lost  his  life  in  resisting  the  passage  of  an  Egyptian  army 
through  his  country.  Jeremiah  and  other  prophets 
warned  the  people  against  Egypt.  It  was  the  King  of 
Egypt  that  placed  Jehoiakim  on  the  throne  of  Judah, 
displacing  and  taking  as  prisoner  the  brother  whom  the 
people  had  crowned. 

His  use  of  the  royal  power  during  the  nearly  five  years 
that  preceded  this  burning  prepared  him  for  the  deed. 
He  had  gone  on  from  step  to  step  in  baseness.  Jose- 
phus  says  of  him  that  "  he  was  neither  pious  toward 
God  nor  good-natured  toward  men."  Jeremiah  reveals 
that  he  was  oppressive  toward  the  poor,  defrauding 
workmen  of  their  wages.  He  occupied  an  elegant 
house,  built  in  unrighteousness.  He  was  hard-hearted, 
and  paid  no  regard  to  the  wrongs  and  sufferings  of  the 
lowly.  A  man  who  begins  by  oppressing  his  weaker 
fellow-man  will  end  in  flagrant  sins  toward  God.  He  does 
sin  against  God  every  time  he  wrongs  the  poor.  Covet- 
ousness  was  another  evil  the  king  indulged.  The 
times  were  hard,  the  nation  paid  a  heavy  tribute,  and  the 
people  groaned  under  their  load  of  taxes,  and  yet  Jehoia- 
kim glutted  his  avarice.  He  had  given  play,  also,  to 
cruel  passions,  and  had  unjustly  caused  subjects  to  be 
put  to  death.  Stopping  his  ears  to  the  cries  of  suffering, 
treating  his  laboring  people  with  injustice,  and  indulg- 
ing in  bloodshed,  this  young  ruler  had  lived  in  ease  and 


JEHOIAKIM'S   WICKEDNESS.  69 

luxury.  Such  a  course  is  fatal  to  conscience,  reverence, 
and  all  the  better  impulses  of  the  soul.  By  living  after 
that  fashion  he  became  hardened  for  the  daring  wicked- 
ness he  afterward  committed. 

Affairs  in  his  kingdom  had  in  the  meanwhile  rapidly 
grown  worse  and  worse.  The  religious  services  declined. 
Idolatry  crept  in.  The  good  work  of  Josiah  was  largely 
undone.  Religious  decay  was  attended  by  an  increase 
of  immorality.  Hypocrisy,  falsehood,  bigotry,  evil- 
speaking,  injustice,  violence,  and  licentiousness  were  the 
sins  that  the  prophets  found  abounding.  Some  people 
profess  great  admiration  for  morality,  but  disparage  relig- 
ion. Thus  far  the  world  has  failed  to  sustain  a  high  type 
of  morality  apart  from  religion.  The  eras  marked  by 
religious  prosperity  have  shown  the  best  record  for 
morality.  On  the  other  hand,  in  times  of  religious  de- 
cline there  has  been  a  like  decay  in  the  morals  of  the 
people.  So  degenerate  had  this  nation  become  that 
Jehovah  proposed  to  suffer  it  to  be  overthrown  and  its 
people  to  be  carried  into  captivity.  The  time  was  nearly 
at  hand.  A  hundred  and  twenty  years  before  the  ten 
tribes  had  been  carried  away,  never  to  return.  For  cent- 
uries God  had  been  seeking  to  school  this  people  in 
righteousness  and  holiness,  and  they  had  been  slow  to 
learn.  Wisdom  had  been  scorned  and  goodness  had 
been  abused.  Gentle  methods  had  often  to  give  way  to 
those  more  severe.  The  severest  chastening  of  all  is  yet 
to  come.  The  Holy  City  that  had  been  the  home  of  David 
and  his  royal  descendants  for  four  centuries  would  be 


70  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

pillaged.  The  Temple  of  Solomon,  the  shrine  of  Hebrew 
devotion,  the  glory  of  the  race,  would  be  thrown  down, 
and  its  consecrated  wealth  fall  into  plundering  hands. 
The  hill-sides  of  Judea  would  be  deserted,  the  homes 
would  be  left  vacant,  the  villages  in  ruins,  and  the  chosen 
people  of  God  would  be  toiling  captives  in  a  foreign  land. 

That  dark  outlook  was  revealed  to  Jeremiah.  He  saw 
the  time  drawing  near.  What  made  it  the  more  terrible 
was  the  fact  that  it  could  all  be  avoided.  It  lay  with  the 
nation  itself.  Safety,  peace,  and  prosperity  were  within 
its  own  grasp.  It  made  its  own  choice  and  determined 
its  own  destiny.  Just  so  are  the  issues  of  every  one's 
life  within  his  own  control.  Each  chooses  his  own  fort- 
une and  makes  his  own  destiny.  Ruin  never  falls  on 
any  man  who  does  not  pull  it  down  upon  himself. 
Judah  herself  was  preparing  the  oncoming  calamity. 
The  iniquity  that  prevailed  in  palace  and  peasants' 
homes,  the  sin  that  defiled  the  Temple  precincts,  the  im- 
piety that  neglected  the  services  of  religion,  the  injustice 
that  reigned  in  the  places  of  trade,  and  the  immorality 
that  polluted  society — these  were  the  causes  of  the  threat- 
ened downfall. 

To  escape  was  simple.  It  required  the  putting  away 
of  sin  and  the  practice  of  righteousness.  Let  king  and 
subjects  humble  themselves,  repent  and  reform,  and  they 
can  defy  all  the  armies  on  earth  to  harm  them.  Jere- 
miah had  been  preaching  righteousness  for  eighteen 
years,  and  his  words  had  been  disregarded.  Under  di- 
vine impulse  he  made  one  last  supreme  effort.     Baruch, 


JEHOIAKIM'S   WICKEDNESS.  71 

of  noble  family  and  fine  culture,  aided  him.  A  parch- 
ment was  secured,  and  Jeremiah  rehearsed  under  divine 
illumination  all  the  prophecies  he  had  before  uttered. 
Baruch  wrote  them.  He  read  them  afterward  to  the 
people  on  an  appointed  fast-day,  and  then  by  re- 
quest repeated  them  to  the  chief  men  or  princes  of  the 
nation.  These  statesmen  counted  the  matter  serious 
enough  to  receive  attention  from  the  king.  Taking  the 
precaution  to  have  Baruch  and  Jeremiah  hide  themselves, 
they  acquainted  the  king  with  the  matter,  and  he  ordered 
the  roll  to  be  brought  and  read  to  him.  As  he  listened 
his  anger  burned,  and  seizing  a  knife  he  cut  off  the  por- 
tion read  and  dropped  the  piece  into  a  brazier  filled  with 
coals  to  warm  his  luxurious  apartments.  Whether  he 
listened  to  the  whole  or  not  is  uncertain,  but  he  kept  on 
cutting  and  burning  until  the  sacred  parchment  was  all 
consumed.  Three  of  the  mature  men  who  were  present 
besought  the  king  to  refrain.  But  they  appealed  in  vain. 
His  stout  will  prevailed,  and  repressed  all  opposition. 
No  one  showed  any  disposition  to  heed  the  prophet's 
voice.  The  ungovernable  madness  of  the  king  destroyed 
the  last  hope  of  the  nation. 

The  reason  in  Jehoiakim's  mind  for  this  act  was  his 
displeasure  with  the  contents  of  the  roll.  It  was  not  a 
question  of  truthfulness  or  falsity,  but  simply  a  matter  of 
dislike.  He  hated  the  truths  thrust  upon  him.  Perhaps 
here  is  the  explanation  of  very  much  of  the  hostility 
manifested  against  that  book  in  later  years.  The  thing 
that  specially  displeased  Jehoiakim  was  the  prophecy  of 


7S  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

the  downfall  of  the  nation,  and  its  captivity.  People  do 
not  like  to  contemplate  the  results  of  their  wrong-doing. 
They  are  unwilling  to  hear  them  spoken  about.  It 
angers  them  to  be  warned  about  the  consequences. 
Wicked  men  live  in  the  present  and  refuse  to  look  into 
the  future.  Future  punishment  is  the  part  of  the  Bible 
most  offensive  to  bad  men. 

Jehoiakim  was  wedded  to  his  luxury  and  his  vices. 
The  preaching  of  Jeremiah  was  against  these.  The  de- 
mand was  their  abandonment ;  the  condition  of  escape 
was  reformed  living.  The  king  was  unwilling  to  change. 
The  suggestion  of  it  angered  him.  He  was  like  bad  men 
in  all  ages.  They  propose  to  cling  to  their  sins,  and  will 
risk  danger  and  ruin  rather  than  forsake  them.  The 
writing  condemned  the  monarch's  life,  and  so  the  mon- 
arch hated  the  writing. 

It  was  folly  in  him  to  vent  his  anger  upon  the  unfeel- 
ing parchment.  He  could  not  hurt  it,  nor  by  burning  it 
injure  any  person  but  himself.  Did  he  suppose  for  a 
moment  that  in  the  destruction  of  the  words  of  prophecy 
the  reality  would  be  avoided  ?  Laws  are  not  repealed  by 
burning  statute-books.  History  is  not  unmade  by  con- 
signing its  records  to  the  flames.  The  consequences 
of  the  sins  of  Jehoiakim  and  Judah  were  not  to  be 
turned  aside  by  destroying  the  roll  of  Jeremiah  and 
Baruch.  Nebuchadnezzar's  army  moved  up  with  un- 
slackened  pace.  Its  strength  and  prowess  were  undi- 
minished. Jerusalem  fell,  and  Jehoiakim  was  slain  and 
Judea's  men  were  overpowered  and  borne  into  captivity 


JEHOIAKIM'S    WICKEDNESS.  7S 

just  as  inevitably.  Burning  the  Bible  does  not  annihilate 
perdition  nor  ward  off  from  evil-doers  the  consequences 
of  their  sins.  Truth  and  law,  like  God,  are  indestruc- 
tible. They  existed  before  man  learned  the  art  of  writ- 
ing, and  remain  unchanged  when  written  declarations 
are  destroyed. 

As  if  to  show  the  king  how  futile  was  his  attempt,  God 
prompted  the  hidden  prophet  to  reproduce  another  roll 
with  the  same  awful  words  of  prophecy.  Wicked  men 
will  fight  in  vain  against  the  testimony  that  will  stand 
against  them.  God  cannot  be  outwitted.  He  who  sets 
himself  against  the  Lord  contends  with  infinite  odds. 
Man  may  assume  the  airs  of  insolent  defiance,  but  he 
will  prove  puny  before  the  divine  majesty.  Jeremiah 
was  directed  to  add  a  little  to  the  first  writing,  and  to 
announce  the  addition  to  the  king.  First,  he  should  not 
have  successors  to  sit  upon  his  throne.  With  his  own 
downfall  should  be  the  extinction  of  the  family.  Alas  ! 
how  the  sins  of  the  fathers  do  come  upon  the  children  ! 
Secondly,  his  own  dead  body,  instead  of  receiving  royal 
sepulture,  as  did  the  honored  body  of  Josiah,  should  be 
cast  out  like  the  body  of  a  dead  dog,  exposed  to  the 
heat  of  day  and  the  frost  of  night.  The  new  roll  was 
made,  and  is  probably  a  portion  of  the  Book  of  Jeremiah. 

The  word  of  God  has  always  survived  the  assaults  of 
men,  and  "  abideth  forever."  The  wickedness  of  Jehoia- 
kim  was  as  great  as  his  folly.  If  man  welcomes  any  thing 
it  should  be  the  light  that  shines  upon  the  darkened  path- 
way of  life,  showing  him  how  to  live,  what  to  seek,  and 


74  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

what  to  shun.  God's  word  is  such  a  light.  He  sent 
that  warning  message  to  enlighten  the  erring  Jehoiakim. 
He  sent  it  as  an  act  of  kindness.  Love  prompted  him. 
It  would  have  proved  a  great  blessing  to  the  king.  It  was 
the  last  appeal  to  him.  It  was  his  last  chance.  His  treat- 
ment of  it  settled  once  and  forever  his  doom.  He 
repelled  the  approaches  of  God,  met  good  with  evil, 
smote  the  hand  that  was  stretched  out  in  love  to  rescue 
him,  and  precipitated  ruin  upon  himself  and  his  people. 

J.  E.  Jacklin. 


JEREMIAH  PERSECUTED.  75 


IX. 
JEREMIAH   PERSECUTED. 

Jer.  xxxvii,  11-21. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— I  am  with  thee,  saith  the  Lord,  to  deliver  thee. 

Jer.  i,  ig. 

This  lesson  gives  us  a  view  of  Jeremiah  under  stress 
of  persecution.  He  is  called  to  stand  alone  and  make 
known  the  divine  will  in  the  face  of  great  opposition,  and 
falters  not. 

The  situation  is  briefly  as  follows:  The  kingdom  of 
Israel  has  been  destroyed  and  the  people  carried  off. 
The  kingdom  of  Judah  no  longer  exists  as  an  independ- 
ent power.  Its  king,  Zedekiah,  is  a  satrap  or  governor 
under  Nebuchadnezzar,  King  of  Babylon,  to  whom  he  has 
sworn  allegiance  and  to  whom  he  is  indebted,  indeed,  for 
his  kingly  honors.  He  is  surrounded  by  counselors  who 
lead  the  nation  into  frightful  corruptions  and  into  a 
suicidal  policy  of  rebellion  against  Babylon. 

Against  this  tide  of  corruption  and  folly  Jeremiah  was 
called  to  stand.  For  a  period  of  more  than  twenty  years 
he  witnessed  for  God  in  the  face  of  the  bitterest  oppo- 
sition and  at  the  expense  of  great  personal  peril  and  suf- 
fering. Arrayed  against  him  were  the  kings,  princes, 
priests,  the  false  prophets,  and  the  people ;  on  his  side 
was — God.     Intensely  loyal  to  the   theocracy,  he   was 


76  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

compelled  to  counsel  submission  to  Babylon,  while  the 
mole-blind  politicians  and  ecclesiastics — apostates  all — 
enjoyed  the  transient  glory  of  being  the  champions  of 
loyalty.  In  this  position  he  stood  like  a  wall  of  brass, 
witnessing  to  the  divine  will.  Neither  the  stocks,  the 
bastinado,  nor  the  dungeon  could  daunt  his  intrepid 
spirit,  nor  induce  him  to  prophesy  smooth  things. 
"  Obey  God,  repent  of  your  idolatries,  submit  to  Baby- 
lon, and  live,"  this  was  the  burden  of  his  prophecy. 
Over  and  over  again  he  declared,  as  from  God,  that 
their  only  hope  of  saving  the  city  and  the  beloved  Tem- 
ple was  in  remaining  loyal  to  Babylon.  But  in  this  po- 
sition he  stood  alone.  Led  by  the  false  prophets  and 
princes,  Zedekiah  repudiated  his  oath  of  allegiance  and 
exposed  himself  to  the  wrath  of  Nebuchadnezzar. 

The  city  is  besieged.  Zedekiah  and  his  counselors 
madly  resist.  Jeremiah  reiterates,  "  Submit,  submit  to 
Babylon,  and  live  !  " 

At  the  point  where  our  lesson  opens,  Nebuchadnezzar 
has  raised  the  siege  to  do  battle  to  an  Egyptian  army 
that  gives  vain  promise  of  relief  to  Jerusalem.  Jeremiah 
is  again  consulted  by  the  king,  whose  deepest  conviction, 
no  doubt,  is  that  Jeremiah's  word  is  God's  word. 

"  Now,  Jeremiah,  the  tide  is  turned.  If  you  are  loyal 
you  will  join  in  the  general  sentiment  and  prophesy  the 
destruction  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  army  and  deliverance 
to  God's  people.  This  will  greatly  strengthen  the  hands 
of  the  men  of  war  in  the  city.  It  will  make  you  person- 
ally popular  and  be  better  all  round."     This,  we  may  im- 


JEREMIAH  PERSECUTED.  77 

agine,  was  the  advice  of  the  tempter,  if  not  of  Jehucal 
and  Zephaniah,  priests  whom  the  king  sent  to  Jeremiah 
to  ask  an  interest  in  his  prayers.  What  answer  will  he 
send  back?  Listen.  "  Behold,  Pharaoh's  army  .  .  .  shall 
return  .  .  .  into  their  own  land.  And  the  Chaldeans  shall 
come  again,  and  fight  against  this  city,  and  take  it,  and 
burn  it  with  fire.  .  .  .  Deceive  not  yourselves,  .  .  .  the 
Chaldeans  shall  .  .  .  not  depart.  For  though  ye  had 
smitten  the  whole  army  of  the  Chaldeans,  .  .  .  and  there 
remain  but  wounded  men  among  them,  yet  should  they 
rise  up  every  man  in  his  tent,  and  burn  this  city  with  fire." 

That  is  plain  enough.  Jehucal  cannot  fail  to  under- 
stand that,  and  will  have  no  difficulty  in  making  it  plain 
to  Zedekiah  and  the  rest.  What  is  to  be  done  ?  Here  is  a 
man  who  counsels  submission  to  a  retreating  enemy  sim- 
ply on  the  ground  that  God  has  commanded  him  to  do  so. 

The  princes  could  interpret  Jeremiah's  motives  only 
on  a  level  with  their  own.  Such  counsel  from  the  lips 
of  their  ilk  would  be  a  sure  sign  of  sympathy  with  Baby- 
lon and  disloyalty  to  Jerusalem,  therefore  Jeremiah  is  a 
traitor  to  be  watched  and  put  out  of  the  way.  He  is 
arrested  while  going  quietly  about  his  business,  on  the  as- 
sumed charge  of  desertion,  beaten,  imprisoned,  neglected. 

But  the  man  who  has  a  mission  from  God  cannot  be 
neglected  for  long.  The  king  has  silenced  Jeremiah, 
but  he  cannot  silence  himself.  A  man  may  put  away 
the  word  of  God  as  spoken  by  the  prophets,  but  he  can- 
not put  away  the  voice  of  God  in  his  own  soul. 

The    king    has   his    misgivings.       He    has    counselors 


78  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

enough,  but  he  is  without  counsel.  Jeremiah  is  recalled. 
What  will  he  now  say?  He  has  had  "  many  days  "  of 
fasting  and  solitary  confinement  in  which  to  try  the 
spirits.  Perhaps  his  prophetic  ardor  has  cooled,  and  he 
will  now  prophesy  smooth  things.  Listen,  as  this  man  of 
God,  standing  before  the  king,  undaunted,  replies :  "  Word 
from  the  Lord  do  you  ask?"  Word  enough  if  you  will 
hear  it.  The  same  old  word,  short,  clear,  crisp  :  "  Thou 
shalt  be  delivered  into  the  hand  of  the  king  of  Babylon." 

Jeremiah  is  sent  back  to  prison,  and  why?  If  he  is 
enough  a  true  prophet  to  be  consulted  by  the  king,  is  he 
not  altogether  too  much  a  true  prophet  to  be  held  in 
durance  vile?  If  he  had  prophesied  to  the  king's  liking, 
think  you  he  would  have  been  sent  back  to  prison  ?  He 
would  probably  have  been  promoted  to  some  high  office 
as  a  man  of  sound  practical  sense. 

Events  move  on  apace.  God's  flail  of  judgment, 
Nebuchadnezzar,  returns  to  Jerusalem  and  prepares  to 
strike.  Jeremiah  abates  not  his  testimony  :  "  The  sword 
and  the  famine  are  here  and  are  to  come  yet  more.  Re- 
main in  the  city  and  die,  or  go  out  to  the  Chaldeans  and 
live,  for  thus  saith  the  Lord,  This  city  shall  surely  be 
given  into  the  hand  of  the  king  of  Babylon's  army,  which 
shall  take  it." 

The  princes  are  exasperated  beyond  measure.  This 
counsel  is  the  truth  of  God,  or  it  is  treason.  It  must  be 
followed  or  Jeremiah  must  be  destroyed.  But  they  have 
already  determined  to  resist  to  the  bitter  end  ;  therefore, 
"  Let  this  man  be  put  to  death." 


JEREMIAH  PERSECUTED.  79 

The  king  is  a  weak  man,  therefore  cruel  and  unjust. 
He  pleads  his  weakness,  and  turns  Jeremiah,  whom  in 
his  heart  of  hearts  he  believes  to  be  a  man  of  God, 
over  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  princes.  "  Behold,  he 
is  in  your  hand  :  for  the  king  is  not  he  that  can  do  any- 
thing against  you."  In  a  dungeon  now,  sinking  in  the 
mire,  left  to  perish,  what  are  the  prophet's  meditations? 
Does  he  lose  confidence  in  God,  and  cry  out,  "  O 
Lord,  thou  hast  deceived  me  and  I  was  deceived?  "  Does 
he  curse  the  day  of  his  birth  and  the  man  who  brought 
tidings  of  it  to  his  father,  saying,  "  Wherefore  came  I 
forth  out  of  the  womb  to  see  labor  and  sorrow,  that  my 
days  should  be  consumed  with  shame?"  Or  does  he 
plead  the  divine  promise  contained  in  his  call  to  the  pro- 
phetic office,  "  For,  behold,  I  have  made  thee  this  day  a 
defensed  city,  and  an  iron  pillar,  and  brazen  walls  against 
the  whole  land,  against  the  kings  of  Judah,  against  the 
princes  thereof,  against  the  priests  thereof,  and  against 
the  people  of  the  land.  And  they  shall  fight  against 
thee ;  but  they  shall  not  prevail  against  thee  ;  for  I  am 
with  thee  .  .  .  to  deliver  thee."  And  does  this  bring  him 
to  his  normal  attitude  of  victorious  trust  ?  "  But  the  Lord 
is  with  me  as  a  mighty  terrible  one  :  therefore  my  per- 
secutors shall  stumble,  and  they  shall  not  prevail :  they 
shall  be  greatly  ashamed  ;  for  they  shall  not  prosper :  their 
everlasting  confusion  shall  never  be  forgotten." 

There  was  never  yet  dungeon  with  doors  double 
barred  deep  enough  to  keep  down  the  man  whom  God 
has  commissioned  to  speak  his  truth.     If  God  cannot  find 


80  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

an  Israelite  to  rescue  his  prophet,  an  Ethiopian  he  can 
find,  and  Ebed-melech  comes  to  the  rescue. 

Again  the  king  seeks  from  Jeremiah  the  word  of  the 
Lord.  Once  more  Jeremiah,  hollow-eyed  from  suffering, 
earnest-visaged  from  conviction  of  the  truth  of  his  mes- 
sage, stands  before  the  king.  Again  he  counsels  the 
king  to  surrender  and  save  the  city  and  the  nation's 
sacred,  passionately  cherished  shrine,  the  Temple.  Again 
the  pusillanimous  king  draws  back  from  the  line  of  duty. 
He  knows  the  will  of  God  and  does  it  not,  and  is  beaten 
with  many  stripes.  The  vials  of  divine  wrath  are  full. 
The  crisis  comes. 

What  a  mournful  tragedy  greets  our  eyes  !  Jerusalem 
and  the  sacred  Temple  a  heap  of  smoldering  ruins;  a 
captive  nation  toiling  in  mournful  procession  over  the 
burning  sands  of  the  desert.  Among  them  is  their  one- 
time king  reaping  the  reward  of  his  timidity  and  self- 
seeking — doomed  to  see  his  children  murdered  before  his 
eyes,  to  have  his  own  eyes  put  out,  and  to  spend  the 
remnant  of  his  days  in  low  drudgery  and  disgrace.  "  He 
that  saveth  his  life  shall  lose  it."  Jeremiah,  on  the 
contrary,  enjoys  the  sweet  light  of  day,  the  blessings  of 
liberty,  the  good  opinion  of  his  fellow-men,  continues 
for  many  years  to  exercise  his  prophetic  gifts  and  enjoy 
the  divine  protection.  "  He  that  loseth  his  life  for  my 
sake  and  the  gospel's  shall  find  it." 

This  lesson  suggests  a  few  practical  questions. 

I.  Why  was  Jeremiah  persecuted?  He  was  naturally 
of  a  mild  and  gentle  disposition,  he  did  not  love  strife, 


JEREMIAH  PERSECUTED.  81 

he  shrank  from  publicity,  he  was  extremely  sensitive  to 
the  opinion  of  others,  and  yet  he  was  constantly  coming 
into  conflict  with  the  people  around  him.  How  will  you 
explain  it?  If  he  could  not  prophesy  smooth  things, 
why  couldn't  he  keep  still?  He  couldn't  keep  still — 
tried  to,  couldn't.  When  he  resolved  not  to  speak  any 
more  in  His  name  then  there  was,  as  it  were,  a  burning 
fire  shut  up  in  his  bones,  and  he  was  weary  with  forbear- 
ing, and  said,  "  I  cannot  keep  still !  "  He  must  utter 
his  message.  His  message  brought  him  into  conflict 
with  every  element  of  power  in  the  land.  The  priests 
and  prophets  persecuted  him  because  he,  a  priest  and  a 
prophet,  ventured  to  attack  his  own  order  and  announce 
truths  which  had  not  received  their  sanction. 

The  princes  strove  to  put  him  out  of  the  way  because 
he  denounced  the  corruptions  and  the  idolatries  of  the 
court  and  the  folly  of  their  nation's  policy.  From  his 
more  elevated  standing-place  he  took  a  broader  and  more 
extended  view  than  others  of  public  affairs.  He  looked 
the  evils  of  his  times  squarely  in  the  face.  He  was 
called  to  fulfill  the  most  melancholy  mission  that  ever 
fell  to  the  lot  of  prophet  or  reformer.  Isaiah,  in  the 
general  apostasy  of  the  northern  kingdom,  took  a  more 
hopeful  view  of  the  southern.  Not  so  Jeremiah  ;  he  saw 
no  hope  for  the  theocracy  save  in  a  general  breaking  up 
of  the  national  life. 

His  persecution  is  an  inevitable  accompaniment  of  his 
career  as  a  faithful  and  true  witness  to  divinely  given  truth. 

The  man  who  bears  witness  to  truths  that  bring  the 

4* 


82  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

lives  of  his  contemporaries  under  condemnation  will  suffer 
persecution.  If  he  is  called  to  denounce  political  insti- 
tutions, long  established,  honored,  or  social  customs  in- 
wrought into  family,  church,  and  national  life — as,  for 
example,  caste,  slavery,  the  drink  evil — he  will  be  de- 
nounced as  a  visionary,  a  fanatic,  a  crank,  a  disturber  of 
the  peace,  an  incendiary,  or  a  traitor,  according  to  the 
force  and  directness  of  the  attack  and  the  sensitiveness 
of  the  body  politic  or  the  body  ecclesiastical  at  the 
point  attacked. 

It  is,  however,  our  duty  and  privilege  to  bear  witness 
to  the  truth  as  God  gives  us  to  see  it.  Some  who  are 
of  the  truth  will  hear  our  voice,  will  attach  themselves  to 
the  truth,  and  to  the  Lord  of  it,  and  hasten  the  final 
triumph  of  the  kingdom  of  truth  among  men. 

And  that  brings  us  to  ask: 

2.  In  what  sense  was  God  with  Jeremiah  to  deliver 
him?  How  is  it  that  God  permi^ts  those  whom  he  calls 
to  bear  witness  to  the  truth  to  be  persecuted,  and  some- 
times to  suffer  martyrdom  for  it  ?  In  what  sense  is 
God  with  such  to  deliver  them  ?  Precisely  in  this,  the 
triumph  of  the  truth  through  the  testimony  of  those 
who  are  persecuted  for  it.  Was  God  with  Jeremiah  to 
deliver  him  while  in  the  stocks,  the  mire  ?  If  the  prom- 
ise pertained  to  temporal  deliverance  merely,  methinks 
Ebed-melech  would  have  been  a  little  more  prompt. 
What  constitutes  divine  deliverance  ?  Exemption  from 
suffering  ?  No.  A  life  of  ease  and  self-indulgence  ? 
No.     That  life  is  divinely  delivered  which  God  utilizes 


JEREMIAH  PERSECUTED.  83 

for  his  glory.  That  man  reaches  hfe's  chief  end  in  spite 
of  rack  and  dungeon  whom  God  uses  to  root  out  the  evil 
and  plant  the  good  ;  to  hunt  down  the  honored  error 
and  bring  to  place  of  power  the  despised  truth.  Devout 
men  took  Stephen  to  his  burial,  and  no  doubt  lamented 
his  untimely  taking  off.  Did  not  God  deliver  him  in  the 
broadcast  sowing  of  his  martyr-blood  ?  Any  life  spent 
for  God  is  a  fulfillment  of  God's  promise  to  be  with  and 
deliver,  even  though  that  life  be  spent  in  a  series  of  ap- 
parent defeats,  or  though  it  be  cut  off  in  the  beginning 
of  what  promised  to  be  a  brilliant  career. 

3.  How  may  we  know  what  is  the  will  of  God?  If 
it  is  important  that  we  stand  firm,  it  is  not  less  impor- 
tant that  we  stand  for  the  right  thing. 

For  a  man  to  embrace  an  error  thinking  it  to  be  very 
truth,  and  to  imagine  that  God  has  called  him  to  propa- 
gate this  supposed  truth  and  suffer  for  it,  is  a  sad  but 
not  uncommon  folly  from  which,  we  should  pray,  "  Good 
Lord,  deliver  us  !  " 

Several  safeguards  are  to  be  suggested,  one  to  be  em- 
phasized. 

(i)  Consult  the  word  of  God  prayerfully,  with  all 
available  helps  ;  not  as  an  arsenal  of  projectiles  to  be 
hurled  at  the  other  party  ;  not  as  a  book  of  rules  and 
precepts,  but  as  a  book  of  principles,  and  as  bringing  us 
under  the  influence  of  that  divine  life  which  is  the  source 
of  all  spiritual  life,  discernment,  and  power. 

(2)  Seek  guidance  in  direct  communion  with  God. 
The  source  of  truth  is  the  mind  of  God  ;   the  organ  for 


84  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

apprehending  truth  is  the  human  understanding.  The 
earnest,  consecrated  soul  in  communion  with  God  will 
not  fail  to  receive  light  on  the  path  of  duty. 

But  are  these  sufficient?  Not  always.  There  are 
fanatics  who  conscientiously  follow  the  Bible  as  they 
understand  it.  Freeman,  of  Pocasset,  thought  he  was 
following  the  guidance  of  the  Spirit  and  the  teachings 
of  the  word  when  he  interpreted  the  narrative  of  the 
offering  of  Isaac  as  a  command  to  himself  to  take  the 
life  of  his  daughter.  What  follies  are  sometimes  wrought 
by  those  who  vainly  imagine  that  they  are  led  by  the 
Spirit  of  God — who  mistake  willfulness  for  the  will  of 
God,  party  spirit  for  holy  zeal ! 

(3)  Have  regard  to  the  consensus  of  thought,  or  the 
prevailing  sentiment  in  the  Church  of  Christ. 

The  combined  judgment  of  the  body  of  believers  is 
more  likely  to  be  in  accordance  with  the  mind  of  the 
Spirit  than  the  judgment  of  the  individual.  If  some  one 
says,  "  How  about  Luther  ?  "  I  must  remark  that  this 
last  safeguard  is  important  in  inverse  ratio  to  the  prob- 
ability that  the  Church  is  corrupt  and  that  you  are  called 
to  be  a  reformer. 

(4)  The  safeguard  to  be  emphasized  is  this :  Seek 
prayerfully  and  in  a  spirit  of  absolute  personal  surrender 
to  the  will  of  God  when  known.  So  seeking  we  shall  not 
walk  in  darkness,  but  shall  have  the  light  of  life,  and  ex- 
perience the  fulfillment  of  the  promise,  "  I  am  with  thee 

to  deliver  thee." 

James  Harrison  Humphrey. 


THE  DO  WNFALL    OF  JUDAH.  85 


X. 

THE  DOWNFALL  OF  JUDAH. 

Jer.  xxxix,  i-io. 

GOLDEN   TEXT.— Behold,  your  house  is  left  unto  you  desolate. 
Matt,  xxiii,  38. 

The  storm-clouds  have  long  been  gathering.  Deep 
gloom  has  settled  over  the  whole  prospect.  Ominous 
rumblings  and  fierce  flashes  give  warning  of  the  near 
tempest.  All  unheeded  by  the  people  are  the  plainest 
signs  of  coming  danger  till  the  cloud-burst  of  divine  in- 
dignation sweeps  with  resistless  fury  upon  them.  From 
the  highest  hill-tops  to  the  deepest  glen  every  water- 
course of  woe  becomes  a  torrent.  Barriers  break  as 
straws.  The  work  of  centuries  is  lost  in  a  moment  in 
the  mad  swirls  of  the  rushing  flood.  The  whole  fabric 
of  the  national  life  totters  and  falls  in  one  vast,  hopeless 
ruin.  Destruction  is  every-where.  No  path  of  flight  to 
safety  remains  open.  Desolation,  anguish,  despair,  like 
blackest  night,  close  over  the  scene  of  Judah's  down- 
fall. Will  morning  ever  come !  And  if  it  come,  can  it 
bring  help,  or  only  show  more  hideously  the  utter  wreck  ? 

No  more  dramatic  scenes  are  shown  in  history  than 
those  connected  with  the  sieges  and  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem by  Nebuchadnezzar.  The  horrors  of  the  time  are 
unparalleled  save  by  those  witnessed  during  the  siege  of 


86  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

the  same  place  by  Titus,  nearly  seven  centuries  later. 
Through  all  the  conflict  and  confusion  one  figure  stands 
calm  and  majestic,  towering  above  all  others.  Priests, 
prophets,  princes,  soldiers,  common  people,  in  one  mad, 
struggling  mass  surge  around  him.  He  alone  is  confi- 
dent of  the  issue.  Above  the  clash  of  arms,  the  shouts 
of  brutal  soldiery,  the  shrieks  of  wounded,  crazed,  and 
famished  wretches,  his  voice  rings  out  with  trumpet 
clearness.  The  central  figure  is  not  the  king,  Zedekiah, 
contemptible  and  despised  ;  not  the  high-priest,  whose 
very  name  has  perished  ;  not  the  general-in-chief  of  the 
Chaldean  forces  ;  not  even  the  great  monarch  of  Babylon 
himself.  The  son  of  Hilkiah  the  priest,  Jeremiah  of  Ana- 
thoth,  gentle  and  shrinking  by  nature  from  scenes  of  vio- 
lence, retiring  in  disposition — he  is  the  one  upon  whom 
all  eyes  turn.  Possessed  by  the  spirit  of  inspiration  from 
Jehovah,  God  of  Israel,  he  was  transformed  into  the  fear- 
less, outspoken  prophet,  denouncing  the  sins  of  the  na- 
tion and  threatening  its  complete  destruction,  but  prom- 
ising peace  and  prosperity  on  condition  of  repentance  of 
heart  and  reformation  of  life. 

Zedekiah,  now  thirty  years  of  age,  was  in  the  ninth 
year  of  his  reign.  He  had  come  to  the  throne  in  troub- 
lous times,  when  the  strongest  arm  and  wisest  head  were 
needed  in  the  direction  of  the  affairs  of  state  to  keep 
the  vessel  from  the  rocks.  He  possessed  neither  political 
sagacity  nor  moral  integrity,  and  by  his  baseness  has- 
tened the  disaster  already  threatening.  His  father  was 
the  godly  Josiah,  who  had  attempted  to  reform  the  na- 


THE  DOWNFALL   OF  JUDAH.  87 

tion  by  law.  Aided  by  such  men  as  Hilkiah  the  high- 
priest,  Shaphan  the  chief  secretary,  and  the  young 
prophet  Jeremiah,  he  had  done  what  was  possible  to  re- 
establish the  worship  of  Jehovah  according  to  the  law 
given  by  Moses.  Six  years  before  the  birth  of  Zedekiah, 
the  book  of  the  law,  long  neglected  and  lost  to  sight, 
had  been  discovered  in  the  Temple,  and  its  directions 
had  been  diligently  followed  by  the  king.  But  the  evils 
of  idolatry  had  become  too  deeply  rooted  in  the  thoughts 
and  habits  of  the  people  to  be  easily  eradicated.  Al- 
liances with  heathen  nations  had  been  prohibited  by  the 
statutes  of  Moses  and  denounced  by  all  the  prophets  of 
Jehovah.  All  the  surrounding  nations  were  deeply  idol- 
atrous, and  in  consequence  morally  corrupt.  The  great 
kingdom  of  Egypt  on  the  south-west  had  for  ages  stood 
unrivaled  in  power,  laying  under  tribute  the  whole  of 
western  Asia.  In  spite  of  all  prohibitions  there  had 
from  the  first  been  a  strong  party  always  favorable  to 
close  political  and  commercial  relations  with  the  Egyp- 
tians. Solomon's  marriage  with  the  daughter  of  Pha- 
raoh was  intended  as  a  shrewd  stroke  of  state  policy. 
It  proved  to  be  consummate  folly.  By  it  the  abomina- 
tions of  animal-worship  were  introduced  and  fastened 
upon  the  people  by  royal  sanction  and  example.  The 
worthlessness  of  the  political  alliance  was  proved  when 
Jeroboam  was  harbored  by  Pharaoh,  and  when  Reho- 
boam  ransomed  his  kingdom  from  being  plundered  by 
Shishak  by  delivering  up  the  immense  treasures  of  the 
Temple  of  Solomon. 


88  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

All  the  wealth  accumulated  with  such  labor  through 
years  was  lost  at  one  stroke,  never  to  be  recovered. 
Bravely  did  the  national  party  struggle  during  the  reigns 
of  Asa,  Jehoshaphat,  Joash,  Hezekiah,  and  Josiah  to  es- 
tablish a  policy  based  on  righteousness  and  allegiance  to 
Jehovah.  Persuasion  and  denunciation,  precept  and  ex- 
ample, were  exhausted  in  displaying  the  corruptions  of 
idolatry  and  the  ruinous  consequences  to  individuals  and 
the  realm  sure  to  follow  any  compromise  with  the  evil. 
The  rising  power  of  Assyria  and  Babylonia  was  watched 
with  eager  interest  by  the  court  at  Jerusalem.  The 
chances  of  victory  in  the  struggle  for  world  supremacy 
between  the  ancient  power  on  the  Nile  and  the  new  civ- 
ilization by  the  Tigris  and  Euphrates  were  balanced,  and 
opinions  divided  sharply  on  the  line  of  policy  to  be  pur- 
sued by  Judah  in  the  conflict  all  saw  as  inevitable.  In 
vain  did  the  prophets  strive  to  arouse  the  spirit  of  the 
nation  to  a  true  loyalty  to  their  God.  After  every  spasm 
of  reform  the  nobles  sank  into  deeper  evil,  and  the  mass 
of  the  people,  never  thoroughly  imbued  with  devotion 
to  purity,  turned  quickly  to  the  unspeakably  vile  prac- 
tices of  their  heathen  neighbors.  Avarice,  cruelty,  licen- 
tiousness, deceit,  and  murder  in  large  measure  ruled  the 
times. 

Every  crime  was  tolerated,  and  even  committed,  by 
those  responsible  for  the  enforcement  of  the  laws  against 
crime.  Priests  became  leaders  in  iniquity ;  prophets, 
claiming  to  be  inspired  of  God,  promised  peace  and  pros- 
perity, and   encouraged  the  people  in  their  wickedness. 


THE  DO  WNFALL   OF  JUDAH.  89 

Those  who  still  stood  for  obedience  to  the  laws  of  Moses 
and  commands  of  Jehovah  did  so  at  the  peril  of  their  lives. 
It  was  amid  scenes  and  under  circumstances  like  these 
that  Jeremiah  and  Zedekiah  grew  to  manhood,  each  de- 
veloping for  the  decisive  hour  of  destiny ;  but  develop- 
ing how  differently! 

At  nine  years  of  age  the  young  Prince  Zedekiah  saw 
his  father  Josiah  set  forth  at  the  head  of  his  army  for 
that  ill-advised  campaign  against  Pharaoh-Necho  which 
resulted  in  the  defeat  of  the  army  of  Judah  at  Megiddo 
and  the  mortal  wounding  of  the  king.  The  burial  of 
Josiah  ;  the  national  mourning  led  by  the  touching  la- 
ment of  Jeremiah  ;  the  crowning  of  Johanan,  Jehoahaz, 
or  Shallum,  as  he  is  variously  called  ;  his  overthrow  by 
Necho  and  exile  to  Egypt ;  the  elevation  of  his  brother 
Eliakim  (Jehoiakim,  Jakim)  to  the  throne,  all  passed  in 
swift  succession,  and  could  not  fail  to  impress  the  boy 
prince. 

Egyptian  influence  must  have  prevailed  at  the  court 
of  Jerusalem  during  the  succeeding  years.  Even  when 
the  young  Nebuchadnezzar  of  Babylon  overran  and  sub- 
dued the  whole  country  from  the  Euphrates  to  the  con- 
fines of  Egypt,  and  laid  Jehoiakim  under  tribute  and 
exacted  from  him  an  oath  of  allegiance,  the  spirit  of  the 
nation  was  adverse  to  submission  to  the  distant  empire 
on  the  Euphrates.  Bitterly  was  it  remembered  that 
many  of  the  sacred  vessels  of  the  Temple,  with  immense 
sums  from  its  treasury,  and  the  flower  of  the  young 
princes  and  nobles,  had  been  sent  to  Babylon  as  an  of- 


90  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

fering  by  Nebuchadnezzar  to  his  god  for  the  service  of  a 
foreign  temple.  Revolt  from  the  hated  power  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  re-appearance  of  the  Chaldean  army,  the 
close  investment  of  the  city,  its  capture,  and  the  igno- 
minious death  of  the  treacherous  Jehoiakim.  His  body 
was  thrown  without  the  city  walls  unburied.  The  whole 
strength  of  the  army  and  all  the  artisans  from  the  cities 
followed  the  earlier  captives  into  the  lands  of  the  con- 
queror. Jehoiachin  (Jeconiah,  Coniah)  and  many  of 
the  nobles,  after  a  few  months  of  power,  take  up  their 
long  march  to  the  East  to  end  their  days  in  Babylon. 
Zedekiah,  at  twenty-one  years  of  age,  is  placed  upon  the 
throne  of  his  fathers.  Has  he  learned  through  these 
long  years  of  calamity  and  bloodshed  that  safety  for 
himself  and  nation  lies  only  in  the  path  of  righteousness? 
Jeremiah,  who  has  so  faithfully  warned  the  father,  the 
brothers,  and  nephew,  is  equally  faithful  to  the  new 
king,  destined  to  be  the  last  of  his  line  to  sit  on  the 
throne  of  David.  But  all  is  to  no  purpose.  The  priests, 
the  prophets,  and  the  princes  are  in  deadly  opposition 
to  all  truth  and  virtue.  Jeremiah  owes  his  life  to  the 
influence  of  Ahikam,  the  son  of  Shaphan,  the  friend  of 
his  early  years,  and  to  a  kind-hearted  eunuch  of  the 
palace. 

Zedekiah  vacillates  between  his  knowledge  of  duty 
and  inclination  to  evil.  Revolt  is  determined  upon  in 
reliance  upon  the  promise  of  help  from  Egypt.  Swift 
comes  the  retribution  and  terrible.  The  hosts  of  Baby- 
lonia swarm   over  the  land.     The  forces   from  Pharaoh 


THE  DOWNFALL   OF  JUDAH.  91 

are  driven  back.  Two  years  of  siege  bring  famine  and 
unutterable  misery  upon  Jerusalem.  The  walls  go  down 
before  determined  assault.  By  night  the  guilty  Zede- 
kiah,  with  wives  and  children,  and  the  miserable,  starved 
remnant  of  his  army,  steal  out  of  the  city  at  an  un- 
guarded point  at  the  south,  but  by  morning  light  their 
flight  is  discovered.  Pursuit  is  made,  and  they  are  capt- 
ured near  Jericho.  Brought  before  Nebuchadnezzar  at 
Riblah,  near  the  northern  end  of  Lebanon,  he  is  pun- 
ished for  his  treason.  His  children  and  nobles  are  slain 
before  his  face,  and  then,  his  own  eyes  put  out,  he  is 
shackled  with  fetters  of  brass  to  be  led  to  Babylon. 
The  climax  of  his  calamity  comes  in  the  news  that  the 
walls  of  the  holy  city  Zion  are  razed  to  their  founda- 
tions, the  gates  and  palace  and  Temple  burned,  the 
inhabitants  removed,  and  the  land  left  in  utter  desola- 
tion. The  end  has  come.  The  doom  of  disobedience, 
long  threatened,  has  fallen. 

From  the  view-point  of  secular  history  the  overthrow 
of  the  nation  was  an  inevitable  consequence  of  its 
treachery  and  disregard  of  treaty  obligations.  From  the 
higher  plane  of  spiritual  insight  it  was  the  natural  con- 
sequence of  sinfulness  and  rebellion  against  the  Lord  of 
hosts.  The  pure,  spiritual  worship  of  Jehovah  was  re- 
jected, with  all  that  was  divine  and  helpful  to  men.  All 
that  was  vile  in  human  and  Satanic  nature  was  cherished 
in  the  worship  of  Baal  and  Ashtoreth,  of  Molech  and 
Chemosh. 

The  lesson  was  not  alone  for  the  men  of  that  age.     It 


92  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

is  an  object-lesson  to  all  ages  and  for  all  men,  teaching 
that  sin  always  and  every-where  brings  suffering.  Dis- 
obedience to  God  ends  ever  in  disaster.  Though  pen- 
alty is  deferred  the  punishment  cannot  be  evaded.  The 
offers  of  mercy  are  long  continued,  but  if  persistently 
rejected  the  sentence  is  pronounced  upon  nations,  upon 
individuals,  "  Behold,  your  house  is  left  unto  you  deso- 
late." 

Walter  J.  Yates. 


PROMISE  OF  A   NEW  HEART.  93 


XI. 
PROMISE  OF  A  NEW  HEART. 

Ezek.  xxxvi,  25-38. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— A  new  heart  also  will  I  give  you,  and  a  new- 
spirit  will  I  put  ^vithiin  you.     Ezek.  xxxvi,  26. 

EZEKIEL  is  the  prophet  of  visions.  Great  truths  ap- 
pear to  him,  not  in  logical  formulas,  but  in  vivid  pict- 
ures. The  literal  condition  of  Israel  in  captivity  is  to 
him  a  picture  of  the  spiritual  condition  of  every  soul  in 
sin.  The  literal  restoration  which  God  promises  to  Is- 
rael is  a  picture  of  the  spiritual  restoration  promised  to 
all  who  forsake  their  sins. 

The  great  facts  of  the  lesson  are  : 

1.  Israel  is  in  Captivity. 

2.  God  Promises  Deliverance. 

3.  A  New  Heart  Shall  be  Given  to  Her. 

The  old  dispositions  and  tendencies  and  desires  which 
made  God's  law  a  burden  shall  all  pass  away,  and  new 
dispositions  and  desires  and  purposes,  which  shall  make 
his  law  a  delight,  shall  take  their  place. 

4.  The  Land  also  Shall  be  Greatly  Changed. 

When  they  went  out  it  was  a  land  of  famine,  a  land 
that  ate  up  the  inhabitants  thereof;  but  when  they  return 
it  shall  be  a  land  where  the  corn  is  increased  and  the 
fruit  of  the  tree  and  the  fruit  of  the  field  are  multiplied. 


94  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

5.  With  the  New  Heart  will  Come  New  Ability  to 
Honor  God. 

6.  Prayer  and  Blessings  are  Inseparable. 

All  this,  though  uttered  587  B.  C,  and  literal  as  to  Is- 
rael, is  a  gospel  picture  of  sin  and  its  results,  salvation 
and  its  blessings,  vivid  as  any  that  can  be  found  in  the 
New  Testament. 

I .  TJie  Sinful  Soul,  like  Israel,  is  Captive  in  a  Foreign 
Land.  God  is  the  home  of  the  soul.  In  him  it  lives  and 
moves  and  has  its  being.  Out  of  God  it  can  no  more 
have  a  spiritual  life  than  the  fish  out  of  water,  or  the  bird 
out  of  the  air.  The  seed  has  power  wrapped  up  in  it 
which,  when  brought  into  proper  connection  with  sun- 
light and  soil  and  rain,  will  unfold  into  a  beautiful  flower. 
You  may  bring  it  into  contact  with  every  thing  else  in 
the  world,  but  keep  it  from  these  and  it  can  never  un- 
fold. So  the  soul  has  powers  which,  brought  into  proper 
relations  with  God,  will  unfold  into  a  beautiful  spiritual 
life ;  but  without  him  they  must  forever  lie  dormant. 
God  is  the  atmosphere,  the  only  atmosphere,  in  which 
the  spiritual  life  can  bloom. 

The  instrument  that  is  out  of  tune  cannot  produce 
harmony.  The  soul  that  is  away  from  God  cannot  be 
at  ease.  The  soul  that  is  in  Christ  has  its  longing,  but 
it  is  longing  for  more  of  the  same  that  it  has.  The  soul 
that  is  out  of  Christ  has  its  longing — longing  for  some- 
thing different  from  what  it  already  has.  Here  is  the 
secret  of  the  unrest  of  the  sinner.  He  is  out  of  his 
atmosphere,  away   from    his  native   land,  held    captive 


PROMISE  OF  A   NEW  HEART.  95 

there,  and  his  spiritual  powers  long  to  be  free  and  return 
home. 

2.  God's  Promise  of  Restoration  iy^x.  2^.  This  promise 
of  restoration  does  not  depend  upon  any  good  feelings 
we  may  have  or  good  deeds  we  may  do.  There  would 
be  great  cause  for  discouragement  if  it  did.  Upon  some- 
thing within  God  himself  it  rests.  "  Not  for  your  sakes," 
but  for  my  holy  name's  sake  I  do  this,  saith  the  Lord 
God  (ver.  32).  A  really  good  man  is  anxious  that  his 
name  shall  be  untarnished.  God  is  very  jealous  of  his 
name — his  holiness.  A  besotted  son  reflects  upon  his 
father's  honor,  and  for  his  name's  sake  he  cannot  rest 
without  making  efforts  to  restore  that  one.  So  one  of 
God's  children  left  in  sin  with  no  effort  to  restore  him 
would  reflect  upon  God's  love  for  holiness.  The  very 
same  reason — a  display  of  his  holiness — that  prompted 
God  to  create  man  prompts  him  to  seek  his  restoration 
to  righteousness.  This  promise,  moreover,  is  to  all,  and 
God  is  abundantly  able  to  fulfill  it.  No  souls  have  wan- 
dered so  far  away  that  he  has  lost  sight  of  them  ;  none 
have  been  so  long  away  that  he  has  forgotten  them  ; 
none  have  so  far  wasted  their  substance  in  riotous  liv- 
ing that  he  cannot  renew  them.  Christ  is  greater  than 
Adam.  Grace  is  mightier  than  sin.  The  robe  and  the 
ring  on  the  returned  prodigal  were  richer  than  the  gar- 
ments he  wore  when  he  left  the  father's  house. 

3.  The  New  Heart.  In  God's  store-house  are  many 
rich  gifts,  but  among  them  all  none  is  more  valuable 
than  the  new  heart.     It  is  a  heart  God  is  to  give  us. 


96  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

The  Christian  life  is  a  life  of  duty;  but  what  is  wanted 
is  something  that  will  make  duty  a  delight.  Clear  intel- 
lectual perception  will  not  do  this.  We  may  have  a  clear 
knowledge  of  right  and  a  perfect  hatred  of  doing  it.  In- 
deed, to  the  unregenerated  soul  clear  perception  of  duty 
brings  any  thing  but  delight — it  brings  remorse. 

Neither  is  the  new  heart  a  controlling  purpose.  A  deep 
purpose  will  overcome  every  thing  but  impossibilities  ; 
but  a  deep  purpose  cannot  make  duty  a  delight.  A  gen- 
eral who  is  dominated  by  a  deep  sense  of  duty  to  his 
country,  and  has  a  purpose  of  loyalty  which  nothing  can 
overcome,  may,  nevertheless,  find  his  fingers  itching  for 
the  gold  an  act  of  treachery  would  bring  him.  But  he 
who  loves  his  country  more  than  all  things  else  is  moved 
only  to  burning  indignation  if  a  bribe  should  be  offered 
him. 

The  controlling  purpose  may  accomplish  the  same  as 
the  controlling  love  ;  but  in  the  one  case  there  has  been 
a  great  struggle  to  remain  loyal,  in  the  other  to  remain 
loyal  has  been  easy  and  delightful.  The  new  heart  will 
undoubtedly  give  clearness  of  vision,  it  will  strengthen 
the  will ;  but  these  are  rather  the  results  of  it  than  the 
new  heart  itself. 

Kcontrolling  love  is  the  essence  of  the  new  heart.  Love 
makes  all  things  easy.  However  clear  our  vision  or 
strong  our  purpose  of  will  may  be,  without  love  to  God 
his  yoke  is  not  easy,  his  burden  is  not  light ;  but  with  a 
supreme  love  to  him  his  yoke  is  just  such  a  burden  as 
wings  are  to  a  bird.     What  God   purposes  to  give  his 


PROMISE  OF  A   NEW  HEART.  97 

children  is  a  new  heart — a  controlling  love,  a  power  at 
the  center  of  their  being  which  makes  them  feel  that 
duty  is  a  delight. 

This  new  heart  comes  only  by  our  coming  into  har- 
monious relations  with  the  Holy  Spirit  (ver.  27).  About 
all  life  there  is  something  mysterious  ;  but  about  the 
"  new  birth,"  or  Christian  life,  there  is  nothing  more  mys- 
terious than  there  is  about  the  birth  of  an  oak. 

There  is  your  acorn.  Within  it  is  a  something  which, 
when  brought  into  proper  relations  with  sunlight  and 
soil  and  moisture,  will  spring  into  an  oak.  Deny  it  re- 
lation with  these  elements,  lay  it  away  in  the  dark  and 
dry,  and  it  never  can  produce  an  oak. 

There  is  your  soul.  Within  it  is  a  something  which, 
when  brought  into  proper  relations  with  the  Holy  Spirit, 
springs  up  into  a  Christian  life.  Deny  it  proper  relations 
with  that  Spirit,  and  there  never  can  be  Christian  life. 
As  this  life  starts  in  union  with  the  Spirit,  so  its  contin- 
uance is  dependent  at  every  moment  on  that  union. 
Remove  the  oak  from  soil  and  sunlight  and  moisture, 
and  it  dies.  Cut  off  the  soul  from  connection  with  the 
Spirit,  and  Christian  life  expires. 

This  Christian  life  must  be  carefully  distinguished 
from  much  that  only  resembles  it.  Our  surroundings 
may  be  so  changed  that  we  literally  come  into  a  new  life, 
but  not  a  Christian  life.  A  child  taken  from  a  home  of 
filth  and  squalor,  where  the  only  salutations  have  been 
blows  and  curses,  and  placed  in  a  home  of  luxury,  where 
it  is  caressed  and  fondled,  will  have  new  experiences  of 


98  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

joys  and  hopes — will  literally  have  entered  into  a  new 
life.  But  this  is  not  being  "  born  from  above  ;  "  it  is  only 
being  born  from  around ;  and  when  the  surroundings 
which  brought  the  new  experience  shall  depart  the  ex- 
perience shall  go  with  them.  The  birth  from  above 
rests  upon  connection  with  the  Holy  Spirit  ;  it  can  be 
destroyed  only  by  destroying  that  connection  ;  change 
of  surroundings  cannot  affect  it. 

4.  The  Promise  of  Changed  Conditions  (vers.  33-35). 
The  bitterest  draughts  in  every  man's  cup  are  those 
which  his  own  hand  mixes.  But  these  are  by  no  means 
all  the  bitter  potions  in  the  cup  of  life.  The  relations 
in  which  we  are  placed  with  others  oftentimes  bring 
most  bitter  sorrow. 

The  sinfulness  of  sin  is  that  its  evil  effects  fall  upon 
the  innocent.  The  innocent  wife  and  child  must  suffer 
because  of  the  drunken  husband. 

When  God  gives  the  new  heart  he  promises  there 
shall  come  with  it  new  and  better  surroundings.  It  is 
the  very  nature  of  the  new  heart  to  create  new  sur- 
roundings. 

As  soon  as  the  drunkard  is  converted  he  seeks  new  as- 
sociates. He  begins  to  be  cleanly  about  his  person  and 
about  his  home ;  he  becomes  industrious  and  saving ;  he 
has  noble  aspirations  after  the  good  of  this  world  as  well 
as  the  next,  and  very  soon  that  which  was  a  waste  be- 
comes a  garden. 

If  all  would  at  once  accept  this  new  heart  earth  would 
at  once  become  an  Eden.     If  you,  reader,  will  accept  it 


PROMISE  OF  A    NEW  HEART.  99 

the  bitterest  potion  will  be  taken  from  your  cup,  and 
your  surroundings  will  be  vastly  better  than  if  you  re- 
main away  from  the  loving  Father. 

5.  Wtt/i  the  New  Heart  will  Come  New  Ability  to  Honor 
God.  The  prophet  declared  that  the  blessings  and  pros- 
perity which  should  come  upon  restored  Israel  would 
cause  the  heathen  round  about  to  know  that  the  Lord 
builds  the  ruined  places  and  plants  that  which  was  deso- 
late. So  every  renewed  life  is  a  testimony  to  the  good- 
ness and  greatness  of  God.  A  shepherd  is  known  by 
his  flock.  A  poor,  sick,  weakly  flock  proclaims  a  worth- 
less shepherd.  A  strong,  healthy,  vigorous  flock  pro- 
claims a  noble  shepherd.  So  nothing  honors  God  like 
noble,  vigorous,  joyous  Christian  lives.  The  miracles 
Christ  wrought  nineteen  hundred  years  ago  are  a  great 
recommendation  to  him  ;  but  the  miracle  of  a  life  trans- 
formed and  made  daily  to  walk  in  unspotted  purity 
amid  the  sin  of  this  world  is  a  much  greater  recommen- 
dation. That,  reader,  is  the  way  God  promises  you  may 
honor  him. 

6.  Prayer  attd  Blessings  are  Inseparable.  "  I  will  yet 
for  this  be  inquired  of  by  the  house  of  Israel,  to  do  it 
for  them." 

When  God  promised  Israel  he  would  bring  her  back 
again  to  her  native  land  he  declared,  "  Not  for  your 
sakes  do  I  this,  but  for  my  name's  sake."  So  God  for 
his  name's  sake  is  to-day  bestowing  many  blessings  alike 
upon  those  who  pray  and  those  who  do  not  pray.  "  He 
sends   the    rain   upon   the  just   and  the   unjust."      Yet 


100  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

he  wants  us  to  ask  him  for  the  blessings  which  we 
need,  (i)  Because  if  we  are  not  desiring  them  enough 
to  come  and  ask  for  them  we  cannot  receive  the  full  ben- 
efit of  them.  The  rain  came  upo-n  the  good  and  the 
stony  ground  alike,  but  to  the  one  it  was  only  a  tempo- 
rary, to  the  other  a  permanent,  blessing.  He  who  has 
no  desire  for  gold  would  not  be  benefited  by  a  gold- 
mine if  it  were  at  his  disposal.  (2)  Because  there  are 
many  blessings  God  would  like  to  bestow  upon  us,  but 
cannot  because  we  are  in  no  condition  to  receive  them. 
God  is  never  doing  for  us  the  absolutely  best,  but  only 
the  best  he  can  under  the  circumstances.  The  heart  that 
is  longing  for  something  is  in  a  condition  to  receive  it 
when  otherwise  it  would  not  be.  God's  blessings  are 
limited  only  by  our  capacity  to  receive  them,  and  lack 
of  desire  destroys  capacity.  Prayer  and  blessings  form 
the  ladder  that  reaches  from  earth  to  heaven.  The  first 
round  is  blessing ;  that  used  brings  prayer,  and  prayer 
again  brings  blessing.  And  so  we  ascend  round  over 
round  till  we  shall  stand  in  his  presence. 

Alexander  Dight. 


THE  BLESSINGS  OF   THE  GOSPEL,  101 


XIII* 
THE  BLESSINGS  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

Isa.  xl,  i-io. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— The  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  be  revealed,  and  all 
flesh  shall  see  it  together.     Isa.  xl,  5. 

The  thought  which  stands  out  at  the  beginning  of 
this  lesson  is  that  God's  word  is  a  word  of  comfort.  Not 
only  is  the  injunction,  "  Comfort  ye,"  repeated,  but  to 
this  repetition  is  added,  "  Speak  ye  comfortably  to  Je- 
rusalem." At  the  time  the  prophecy  was  uttered  the 
true  people  of  God  were  in  a  state  of  great  apprehension 
because  of  the  prevailing  corruption  and  the  intense  sin- 
fulness which  characterized  the  times.  While  they  were 
depressed  and  in  sadness  and  fear  on  this  account,  the 
prophet  was  sent  with  a  message  of  comfort  to  them. 
Surely,  here  is  a  lesson  for  all  gospel  ministers.  They 
should  be  sons  of  consolation.  Having  in  their  own 
hearts  the  experience  of  divine  comfort,  they  should  be 
able  to  minister  it  to  others.  A  minister  who  has  no 
taste  for  the  work  of  comforting  the  sorrowing  children 
of  God  is  out  of  place.  No  eloquence  of  diction  in  the 
pulpit,  no  proficiency  in  theological  lore,  no  accumulation 
of  scientific  knowledge,  no  splendid  literary  attainments, 
can  compensate  in  any  degree  for  the  lack  of  deep  and 

*  No  homily  is  given  for  Lesson  XII,  which  is  a  review. 


102  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

earnest  sympathy  with  the  people  in  their  trials  and  the 
power  born  of  a  divine  experience  to  bring  God's  comfort 
to  them  in  their  hours  of  need. 

Another  point  to  be  especially  noticed  is  that  God's 
comfort  is  for  his  people  ;  "  Comfort  ye  my  people  "  is 
the  word  of  God  to  the  prophet.  It  is  impossible  to 
bring  real  and  substantial  comfort  to  those  who  refuse  to 
be  the  people  of  God ;  but  for  those  who  are  loving 
him  and  trusting  him  there  is  abundant  comfort  always. 

Notice,  again,  that  this  comfort  is  to  be  derived  from 
the  word  of  God.  The  passage  at  the  close  of  the  fifth 
verse,  "  For  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it,"  is 
the  key  to  the  whole  situation.  However  dark  may  have 
been  the  surroundings,  however  destitute  of  comfort 
they  may  have  seemed  to  mere  human  observation,  be- 
cause of  what  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  had  spoken  there 
was  to  every  trusting  child  of  his  a  permanent  source 
of  richest  comfort ;  and  we  should  enforce  upon  those 
who  are  under  our  instruction  the  fact  that  this  is  just 
as  true  to-day  as  when  the  prophet  uttered  it;  that 
there  is  no  need  of  any  soul  for  which  there  is  not  an 
adequate  supply;  no  sorrow  for  which  there  is  not 
abundant  comfort ;  no  hours  of  bereavement  and  af- 
fliction in  which  God's  word  is  not  able  to  bring  richest 
consolation. 

The  comfort  brought  to  Jerusalem  at  this  time  was 
based  upon  three  facts. 

First,  "  Her  warfare  is  accomplished."  That  is  to  say, 
her  time  of  struggle  was  pretty  nearly  over.     The  con- 


THE  BLESSINGS  OF   THE  GOSPEL.  lOS 

flict  of  tribulations  and  anxieties  through  which  she  had 
passed  was  near  its  end,  and  this  in  itself  was  a  source 
of  great  comfort. 

Secondly, "  Her  iniquity  is  pardoned."  Sin  was  at  the 
bottom  of  all  her  troubles.  It  was  the  fruitful  cause  of 
every  disaster  that  had  happened  to  her.  The  severest 
trials  through  which  she  had  passed  were  simply  a  neces- 
sary outgrowth  of  the  sin  into  which  she  had  fallen,  and 
for  the  removal  of  which  she  was  utterly  helpless.  The 
announcement  that  God,  who  alone  had  the  power,  had 
pardoned  her  iniquity  was  a  source  of  richest  comfort 
and  encouragement. 

Thirdly,  the  punishment  designed  had  been  executed. 
"  She  hath  received  of  the  Lord's  hand  double  for  all  her 
sins."  This  must  be  regarded  as  simply  a  strong  rhetor- 
ical expression  to  indicate  that  her  punishment  had  been 
severe  and  sufficient.  It  cannot  be  intended  to  imply 
that  the  penalty  had  been  twice  as  great  as  was  appro- 
priate, for  that  could  not  be  true  in  the  just  administra- 
tion of  God.  It  is  simply  an  intense  expression  to  sig- 
nify that  the  penalty  had  been  fully  imposed.  This  being 
the  case,  of  course  no  further  treatment  of  the  kind  was 
needed.  It  is  a  divine  proclamation  that  her  punishment 
is  at  an  end,  that  that  darkest  of  all  hours  which  is  just 
before  day  had  arrived,  and  the  sunrise  of  hope  and  en- 
couragement was  just  at  hand. 

The  phrase,  "  The  voice  of  him  that  crieth  in  the  wil- 
derness," no  doubt  has  reference  to  the  custom  of  Orient- 
al monarchs  to  send  heralds  in  advance  of  their  coming 


m  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

and  give  notice  of  their  approach.  It  doubtless  has 
primary  reference  to  the  prophets,  who  spoke  by  divine 
authority  in  those  troublous  times,  but  unquestionably 
had  special  regard  to  John  the  Baptist,  as  our  Saviour 
clearly  indicates  that  this  passage  was  fulfilled  in  his 
ministry.  The  object  of  this  divine  cry  was  to  notify  the 
people  to  prepare  the  way  of  the  Lord.  It  was  the  cus- 
tom of  Eastern  monarchs  to  send  men  in  advance,  when 
they  would  journey  in  any  direction,  to  fill  up  the  val- 
leys and  dig  down  the  hills,  so  that  an  easy  and  nearly 
level  highway  might  be  prepared  for  their  advance.  At 
this  day  when  the  Emperor  of  China  is  about  to  make  a 
visit  to  the  tombs  of  his  ancestors,  a  host  of  men  are 
sent  out  in  advance  to  prepare  the  roads  and  put  every 
thing  in  perfect  order  for  the  monarch's  approach.  So 
the  prophets  were  called  upon  to  admonish  the  people 
to  prepare  the  way  of  the  Lord.  This  was  to  be  done 
then,  and  is  to  be  done  now,  by  repentance,  by  sincere 
sorrow  for  the  sins  that  have  brought  trouble  upon  our- 
selves and  others,  by  humbling  ourselves  before  God  in 
the  dust,  acknowledging  with  sorrow  the  sins  which  have 
separated  between  him  and  us,  and  by  reverently  seek- 
ing to  know  his  will,  holding  ourselves  in  a  receptive 
attitude  before  him,  so  that  his  slightest  whispers  may 
be  heard  by  our  awakened  and  alert  souls.  It  is  under 
these  circumstances  that  hindrances  get  out  of  the  way, 
valleys  are  exalted,  mountains  and  hills  are  made  low, 
crooked  places  easily  become  straight,  and  rough  places 
plain.      The  way  of  the  Lord   is  so   prepared  that  his 


THE  BLESSINGS  OF   THE   GOSPEL.  105 

messages  of  love  and  mercy  at  once  penetrate  and  in- 
fuse the  soul. 

God  has  always  sought  such  preparation  on  the  part 
of  his  people.  He  longed  for  it  among  the  Jews  in  their 
time  of  captivity,  and  when  it  was  in  his  heart  to  bring 
them  out  of  their  bondage  and  return  them  in  joy  to 
their  native  land.  He  longs  now  for  this  preparation  in 
the  hearts  of  his  people.  He  desires  to  open  the  heavens 
to  pour  out  his  richest  blessings  in  seasons  of  great  and 
sweeping  revivals,  turning  the  hearts  of  multitudes  unto 
himself,  and  quickening  his  people  in  their  holy  faith  ; 
and  that  he  may  do  this  he  seeks  that  they  may  be  pre- 
pared. He  commands  the  messengers  of  his  truth  to 
proclaim,  as  they  did  in  Isaiah's  time,  "  Prepare  ye  the 
way  of  the  Lord."  When  this  is  done  "  the  glory  of  the 
Lord  shall  be  revealed." 

The  ministry  of  repentance  and  reformation,  such  as 
John's  was  in  the  wilderness,  must  always  precede  the 
coming  of  the  Messiah  and  the  revelation  of  God's  glory. 
It  is  not  in  the  divine  order,  it  is  a  spiritual  impossibil- 
ity, that  the  revelation  of  God's  glory  should  come  to  an 
unrepentant  and  unreformed  people.  The  ministry  of 
John  the  Baptist  comes  in  its  natural  order  before  the 
ministry  of  Christ,  the  loving  and  all  powerful  Saviour; 
but  when  this  ministry  has  done  its  work,  and  souls  are 
filled  with  repentance  and  bringing  forth  works  meet  for 
repentance,  the  voice  of  God  will  soon  be  heard,  saying, 
"This  is  my  beloved  Son,  hear  ye  him;"  and  in  due 

time  will  come  the  glories  of  the  transfiguration  scene, 
5* 


106  BOSTON  HOMILIES, 

when  God's  chosen  and  prepared  ones  will  be  filled  with 
the  transporting  delight  of  the  Saviour's  glorious  pres- 
ence. 

As  soon  as  the  prophet  reaches  this  theme  of  the  rev- 
elation of  the  glory  of  God  he  bursts  from  the  narrowness 
of  Judaism,  and  exclaims  that  "  All  flesh  shall  see  it  to- 
gether." And  this  glorious  truth,  which  "  the  mouth  of 
the  Lord  hath  spoken,"  is  repeatedly  revealed  in  the 
clearest  possible  terms  by  this  same  prophet  in  many 
other  passages.  So  that  the  Golden  Text  of  this  lesson 
is  a  missionary  text,  and  gives  all  teachers  an  excellent 
opportunity  to  bring  before  their  classes  the  missionary 
character  of  this  prophecy. 

This  declaration  of  Isaiah  differs  not  at  all  from  the 
Saviour's  own  proclamation,  "  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the 
earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto  me."  Isaiah's  declaration  is 
a  gospel  of  hope,  a  message  of  good  cheer  for  the  whole 
world.  The  angel  over  the  plains  of  Bethlehem  re-echoed 
this  word  of  Isaiah  when  he  said,  "  Behold,  I  bring  you 
good  tidings  of  great  joy  which  shall  be  to  all  people." 
And  Luke  makes  very  clear  what  the  meaning  of  this 
"  glory  of  the  Lord  "  is  when  he  renders  this  passage, 
"All  flesh  shall  see  the  salvation  of  God." 

Let  this  glad  evangel  of  Isaiah  sound  out  over  the 
whole  world.  Let  the  Church  awake  to  its  duty  of  mak- 
ing known  this  glorious  truth  wherever  men  are  in  dark- 
ness and  in  need. 

Next,  the  perishable  character  of  earthly  things  is  al- 
luded to  in  order  to  emphasize  the  enduring  nature  of 


THE  BLESSINGS  OF   THE  GOSPEL.  107 

God's  word.  "  All  flesh  is  grass,  and  all  the  goodliness 
thereof  is  as  the  flower  of  the  field  :  the  grass  withereth, 
the  flower  fadeth ;  because  the  spirit  of  the  Lord 
bloweth  upon  it  :  surely  the  people  is  grass.  The  grass 
withereth,  the  flower  fadeth  :  but  the  word  of  our  God 
shall  stand  forever." 

These  familiar  statements  in  regard  to  the  transitory 
character  of  earthly  and  material  things  seem  to  be  in- 
troduced for  the  purpose  of  emphasizing  by  contrast  the 
enduring  nature  of  God's  word.  We  are  virtually  ad- 
monished to  loosen  our  hold  on  material  things  that  we 
may  take  a  stronger  grasp  on  that  which  is  immortal,  as 
the  apostle  says:  "While  we  look  not  at  the  things 
which  are  seen,  but  at  the  things  which  are  not  seen :  for 
the  things  which  are  seen  are  temporal ;  but  the  things 
which  are  not  seen  are  eternal  "  (2  Cor.  iv,  18).  The 
apostle  Peter  quotes  this  very  passage,  and  adds  that 
this  word  "  is  the  word  which  by  the  gospel  is  preached 
unto  you."  This  enduring  word  of  our  God  is  the  Gos- 
pel of  Christ  which  brings  peace  and  comfort  wherever 
its  joyful  sound  is  heard. 

The  verse  which  follows  this,  and  which  seems  to  be  an 
address  to  Zion  and  Jerusalem,  should  rather  read  :  "  O 
thou  that  tellest  good  tidings  to  Zion,  get  thee  up  into 
the  high  mountain  ;  O  thou  that  tellest  good  tidings  to 
Jerusalem,  lift  up  thy  voice  with  strength  ;  lift  it  up,  be 
not  afraid."  This  is  an  exhortation  to  make  known  with 
clearness,  and  with  as  wide  a  range  as  possible,  the  glad 
tidings  of  salvation.     Let  it  ring  out  over  all  the  land  ! 


108  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

Speak  it  so  that  all  can  hear !  These  words  of  help  and 
comfort  are  not  to  be  kept  for  the  select  few,  but  are  to 
be  made  known  with  energy  and  to  come  with  power  of 
help  and  comfort  wherever  their  messages  of  love  and 
mercy  are  needed. 

The  message  to  all  the  cities  of  Judah  was,  "  Behold 
your  God,"  Not  as  an  object  of  fear,  not  as  one  coming 
with  a  message  of  destruction  to  exercise  his  omnipotent 
power  in  blotting  out  his  rebellious  subjects  from  ex- 
istence, but  he  was  to  come  "  with  strong  hand,"  and  his 
arm  should  rule  for  him  ;  that  is,  his  own  strength,  his 
omnipotent  power  should  secure  for  him  that  which  he 
designed  to  accomplish. 

"  His  reward  is  with  him."  This  is  an  intimation  that 
he  will  recompense  punishment  to  those  who  are  fla- 
grantly in  rebellion  and  will  not  repent,  and  rewards  of 
mercy  and  blessing  to  those  who  are  faithful.  The 
phrase,  "  His  work  before  him,"  is  differently  interpreted. 
It  may  signify  that  he  has  his  divine  plan  and  purposes, 
which  he  knows  how  to  accomplish,  and  that  he  will  cer- 
tainly do  it. 

The  eleventh  verse  is  not  connected  with  this  lesson, 
but  seems  to  belong  here  ;  and  its  simple  language  is  a 
most  touching  expression  of  the  tenderness  of  God  in 
his  care  for  his  people :  "  He  shall  feed  his  flock  like  a 
shepherd:  he  shall  gather  the  lambs  with  his  arms,  and 
carry  them  in  his  bosom,  and  shall  gently  lead  those  that 
are  with  young."  The  whole  passage  is  one  full  of  the 
tender  and  encouraging  spirit  of  the  Gospel.     It  might 


THE  BLESSINGS  OF    THE   GOSPEL.  109 

be  called  the  Gospel  by  Isaiah,  so  full  is  it  of  the  very 
spirit  of  the  Master  himself.  It  ought  to  be  made  the 
occasion  of  unfolding  the  love  of  God  to  every  listening 
pupil,  and  under  its  faithful  teaching  many  young  hearts 
ought  to  be  won  for  the  Master. 

Stephen  L.  Baldwin. 


SECOND   QUARTER. 


I. 

THE  WAY  OF  THE  RIGHTEOUS. 

Psa.  i,   1-6. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— Blessed  is  the  man  that  -walketh  not  in  the 
counsel  of  the  ungodly,  nor  standeth  in  the  way  of  sinners, 
nor  sitteth  in  the  seat  of  the  scornful.    Psa.  i,  i. 

The  Bible  has  a  grand  purpose.  It  is  revelation  in 
order  to  salvation.  Each  book  of  the  Bible  may  be  said 
to  have  a  subordinate  purpose.  It  has  a  special  truth  to 
emphasize,  makes  an  appeal  to  some  special  part  of  hu- 
man nature,  or  deals  with  a  special  phase  of  human  life 
or  history.  Our  lesson  is  an  introduction  to  the  Book  of 
Psalms.  This  Psalter  is  the  heart's  book.  Here  the 
heart  opens  itself  that  we  may  see  in  it  the  workings  and 
results  of  wickedness,  the  victories  and  blessings  of  right- 
eousness. In  history  we  see  the  streams  of  life  ;  here  we 
see  the  fountains.  The  book  is  a  mirror  of  my  heart, 
your  heart,  all  hearts.  Here  may  be  studied  the  heart, 
in  itself,  under  the  varied  conditions  of  life ;  in  its  mani- 
fold fellowships  with  men,  its  different  movements  toward 
God.  The  importance  of  this  is  seen  in  these  Bible  ex- 
pressions, "  The  heart  is  deep,"  "  Who  can  know  it  ?  " 
"  Out  of  it  are  the  issues  of  life." 

But  these  revelations  of  the  heart  are  not  blunt  and  so 
plain-spoken  as  to  shock  us.  They  come  in  the  form 
of  Oriental  poetry,  like  living  forms  unclothed,  yet  veiled, 
chaste,  and  sacred. 


lU  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

This  first  Psalm  is  without  any  inscription.  We  are  not 
told  who  wrote  it.  Its  thought,  imagery,  and  words  sug- 
gest Solomon  as  a  possible  author.  It  may  be  one  of 
his  one  thousand  and  five  songs.  Like  his  proverbs,  it  is 
full  of  sententious  wisdom,  and  never  rises  to  the  height 
of  passion.  Still,  we  are  not  sure  of  the  human  author. 
But  while  we  cannot  repress  the  wish  to  know  who 
penned  this  Psalm — his  circumstances,  feelings,  and  pur- 
poses when  he  wrote — may  it  not  be  well  sometimes  for 
the  human  to  vanish  that  the  feeling  may  grow  more 
definite  that  God  is  now  speaking  to  my  heart  about  my 
life?  There  is  here  the  "  certain  sound,"  the  very  spirit 
of  authority  that  fills  the  words  with  assurance  that  the 
hand  of  the  Master  is  on  the  harp.  There  are  no 
queries,  doubts,  or  proofs,  but  truth  that  wakes  in  me  the 
consciousness  that  it  is  truth — truth  that  has  the  ring  and 
tone  of  divinity. 

How  shall  we  study  it  ?  There  are  two  great  methods 
of  interpretation.  One  is  that  of  Luther,  called  the  sub- 
jective, which  ever  looks  for  the  principle,  the  truth,  the 
food  for  the  soul  that  is  in  the  word  just  as  it  stands. 
The  other  is  that  of  Calvin,  called  the  objective,  which 
looks  for  the  sure  ground  of  historical  interpretation,  and 
illuminates  the  text  from  all  the  side-lights  of  history  till 
the  word  lives  again  for  us  just  as  it  lived  for  him  who 
penned  it.  Not  knowing  the  author,  time,  or  circum- 
stances of  this  Psalm,  we  are  shut  up  to  the  former  meth- 
od, the  subjective. 

In  fact,  we  are  inclined   to  think  this  is  a  subjective 


THE    WAY  OF   THE  RIGHTEOUS.  115 

hymn.  It  is  not  likely  that  the  singer  had  before  him 
two  men,  one  righteous,  who  found  his  delight  in  the  law 
and  meditated  in  it  constantly,  and  therefore  his  outer 
business  life  was  always  prosperous,  and  his  relations  with 
the  natural  forces  of  the  world  and  with  society  always 
full  of  blessedness  ;  and  the  other  unrighteous  and  joined 
with  the  wicked,  and  therefore  his  projects  all  failed,  and 
he  was  blown  away  by  the  winds  of  disaster  to  utterly 
perish  in  misery  in  this  life.  Such  objective  poetry,  thus 
picturing  the  outer  relations  of  life  as  the  result  of  inner 
character,  would  not  be  true  to  history.  Job  was  perfect 
and  upright,  a  man  who  eschewed  evil,  and  yet  he  was 
stricken,  smitten,  and  afflicted,  but  in  the  depths  of  his 
trials  insisted  upon  his  integrity.  The  wicked  often 
flourish  as  the  green  bay  tree,  are  fat  and  prosperous  in 
life,  and  have  no  pains  in  their  death;  but  is  their  inner 
life  full  of  blessedness? 

The  real  blessedness  of  man  is  not  in  his  outer  circum- 
stances, but  in  his  inner  heart  life.  Riches  may  fly  away 
or  be  a  source  of  trouble,  friends  may  fail  or  even  wound 
us,  society  is  often  not  in  accord  with  righteousness,  and 
Dame  Nature  seems  to  be  a  cruel  mother.  But  if  a  man 
have  a  fountain  of  peace,  gladness,  and  joy  in  his  own 
heart,  if  he  have  God  and  heaven  in  his  own  soul,  he  is 
greater  than  Diogenes  in  his  tub  and  richer  than  Solomon 
on  his  throne. 

It  is  this  inner  blessedness  of  the  inner  life  of  which  the 
Psalmist  sings.  By  a  series  of  contrasted  pictures  he 
would  show  us  the  fountain  on  which  the  heart  feeds,  the 


116  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

way  along  which  it  moves,  the  end  which  it  reaches.  We 
see  more  plainly  by  contrasts  than  by  looking  at  a  single 
object  with  nothing  by  which  to  measure  it.  How  strik- 
ing the  contrasts  here !  This  Psalm  is  both  dark  and 
bright — like  the  pillar  of  fire  and  of  cloud — it  is  darkness 
on  the  way  of  the  wicked  ;  it  is  light  on  the  way  of 
the  righteous.  "  The  way  of  the  wicked  is  as  darkness," 
"  The  path  of  the  just  is  as  the  shining  light,  that  shineth 
more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  day." 

I.  The  Negative  Pictures  of  Progress  and  Results.  Let 
us  note  briefly  the  way  the  righteous  man  does  not  take. 
It  is  set  forth  in  six  pictures ;  three  are  the  steps  of 
progress  and  three  are  the  results. 

The  first  negative  picture  is  **  walketh  not  in  the  coun- 
sel of  the  ungodly."  The  ungodly  are  the  restless,  dis- 
satisfied, unrighteous  (Job  iii,  17;  Isa.  Ivii,  20).  "The 
counsel  of  the  ungodly "  means  hidden  designs,  secret 
thoughts,  evil  imaginations.  These  are  the  fountains  of 
evil-doing.  They  precede  open  sin.  They  are  the  seed 
of  wicked  harvests.  As  a  man  thinks  so  is  he.  Reading 
accounts  of  crime  and  descriptions  of  vice  in  the  daily 
press  or  in  vicious  literature,  or  seeing  them  represented 
in  immoral  theaters,  and  then  meditating  on  them  and 
living  them  over  again  in  our  imagination,  is  walking  in 
the  counsel  of  the  ungodly.  The  righteous  man  does 
not  even  stroll  through  such  thought-realms  of  impurity. 

The  second  picture  is  doubtless  a  little  more  than  a 
poetical  repetition.  "  Nor  standeth  in  the  way  of  sin- 
ners."     Sinners  are  active  habitual  doers   of  iniquity. 


THE    WAY  OF   THE  RIGHTEOUS.  117 

The  dishonest,  peculators,  Sabbath-breakers,  gamblers, 
profane  are  some  of  those  meant  here.  To  "stand  '  in 
their  "way"  is  to  agree  with  them  in  heart  and  mind. 
To  be  in  any  sense  a  party  to  wrong-doing  in  business, 
social,  or  political  relations  is  to  stand  in  the  way  of  sin- 
ners. It  includes  the  licensing  of  evil.  The  righteous 
man  will  not  be  entangled  in  or  compromise  with  the 
world's  sin.  He  hears  the  divine  voice,  "  Come  out  from 
among  them  and  be  ye  separate." 

The  third  picture  is  still  stronger.  "  Nor  sitteth  in 
the  seat  of  the  scornful."  The  scorners  are  those  who 
make  an  open  scoff  at  religion,  and  blaspheme  and  ridi- 
cule it.  These,  in  varying  degree,  are  as  many  now  as  in 
the  Psalmist's  day.  They  still  have  their  "seat"  or 
assembly  and  form  a  deliberate  confederacy  in  wicked- 
ness. To  "  sit "  in  their  "  seat "  does  not  necessitate 
being  an  open-mouthed  blasphemer,  but  may  only  imply 
a  silent  member  of  such  a  company,  who  in  his  own  heart 
at  home  harbors  such  feelings.  Beware  of  mocking, 
ridiculing,  scoffing,  scorning  sacred  things.  Such  a  spirit 
indicates  a  heart  empty  of  good  and  of  God,  near  to 
destruction. 

The  three  pictures  showing  the  results  of  such  a  heart- 
life  are  given  in  the  fourth  and  fifth  verses.  The 
ungodly,  with  heart  empty  of  good,  of  worth,  and  of  life, 
will  be  as  the  chaff  blown  away  by  the  wind  when  thrown 
in  the  air  on  the  elevated  threshing-floor.  In  the  great 
day  of  judgment  the  hearts  that  are  like  empty  shells 
will  be  found  wanting,  and   the  wicked  spoiled  by  evil- 


US  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

doing  will  be  condemned.  When  the  congregation  of 
the  righteous  are  gathered  in  heaven,  the  "  sinners  "  with 
hearts  full  of  bitterness  and  scorn  will  not  be  there. 
"The  way  of  the  ungodly  shall  perish." 

2.  The  Positive  Pictures  of  Progress  and  Results.  The 
way  of  the  righteous  begins  well.  See  the  righteous 
man  delighting  in  the  law  of  Jehovah  !  What  a  contrast 
to  the  counsel  of  the  wicked  !  Delighting  in  the  law  I 
What  law  ?  The  same  law  that  to  Paul  was  so  bitter,  so 
sin-reviving,  so  death-dealing.  Doubtless  the  same  law, 
the  book  of  the  law  which  was  then  about  the  only 
Scripture.  The  criminal  finds  no  sweetness  in  the  law. 
It  has  no  delight  for  him.  To  him  it  means  death.  It 
was  from  that  point  of  view  Paul  wrote.  But  the  loyal 
citizen  finds  pleasure  in  the  just  and  beneficial  laws  of 
his  beloved  country.  So  the  righteous  man  in  God's  law. 
"  Delight "  is  a  strong  word.  It  describes  the  whole 
inner  man  as  in  a  state  of  exhilaration  as  he  reads  the 
law.  "  The  precepts  of  Jehovah  are  right,  rejoicing  the 
heart."  (See  Psa.  xix,  7-1 1.)  In  the  revelations  of  God's 
holiness  and  his  holy  purposes  concerning  man,  his  own 
high  destiny  and  great  blessedness  here  revealed  and 
made  possible  through  God's  grace,  man  finds  such 
enlightenment  for  his  eyes,  such  food  for  his  heart,  such 
inspiration  for  his  soul,  that  he  seeks  no  other  delight. 

"  In  his  law  doth  he  meditate  day  and  night."  A  man 
will  continue  in  that  in  which  he  delights ;  the  real 
painter  at  his  painting,  the  musician  at  his  music,  the 
scientist  at  his  science,  the  debauchee  at  his  pleasure. 


THE    WAY  OF    THE  RIGHTEOUS.  119 

The  Gadarene  possessed  of  devils  found  his  deHght  in  the 
tombs  full  of  death,  and  dwelt  there.  Why  should  not 
the  righteous  man  delight  in  a  holy  law  and  be  wont  to 
meditate  therein  day  and  night?  The  man  after  God's 
own  heart  will  find  his  dehght  in  the  revelations  of  God's 
heart  and  want  to  make  it  his  dwelling-place.  To  such 
a  one  the  law  will  not  be  a  mere  rule  by  which  he  must 
frame  his  life,  but  it  will  be  food  and  aliment  to  his  spirit. 
To  the  righteous  the  law  is  like  manna,  tasting  to  every 
man  like  that  he  likes  best,  and  "  he  who  hath  once 
tasted  its  excellence  will  desire  to  taste  it  again,  and  he 
who  tastes  it  oftenest  will  relish  it  best."  In  the  law,  put 
under  the  mercy-seat  in  the  Holy  of  Holies,  and  so  put 
under  grace  in  Christ,  the  human  heart  may  find  its  pur- 
est delight  in  meditation,  its  richest  food  in  earth's  pil- 
grimage, and  its  highest  inspiration  in  life's  endeavors. 

Such  a  one  "  shall  be  like  a  tree  planted  by  the  rivers 
of  water."  A  striking  picture  to  the  Eastern  mind  !  At 
certain  seasons  all  verdure  wilts  and  withers  under  the 
burning  heat  of  the  time  of  drought,  save  along  the  banks 
of  the  little  mountain  streams,  where  all  is  fresh  and 
vigorous,  full  of  leaves  and  of  fruit  in  its  season.  And 
just  so  is  the  inner  life  of  one  who  is  constantly  nour- 
ished by  God's  law,  by  the  Bible  as  we  have  it  to-day. 
All  other  sources  may  fail,  but  this  is  sure.  It  will  keep 
the  heart  young,  tender,  growing,  fruitful.  Thought  and 
faith  and  hope  and  love  will  ever  bloom  and  fruit. 
There  will  be  continual  prosperity  in  such  a  heart. 
December  will  be  as  pleasant  as  May.    Each  season  from 


ISO  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

youth  to  old  age  will  have  its  fruit.  Such  a  heart  will 
not  die.  "  His  leaf  also  shall  not  wither."  There  will 
be  no  sign  of  lack  of  nourishment  to  the  heart  that  is 
constantly  nourished  on  God's  word. 

"  Whatsoever  he  doeth  shall  prosper."  All  he  does  is 
in  harmony  with  the  law,  and  that  insures  prosperity.  It 
is  so  in  all  departments  of  life.  But  here  the  right- 
eous feel  that  they  have  not  only  law,  but  God  in  the 
law,  helping  them,  "  for  the  Lord  knoweth  [participle, 
"knowing,"  is  knowing,  watching  over,  caring  for]  the 
way  of  the  righteous."  While  Jehovah  lives  the  right- 
eous need  not  fear.  His  way  shall  not  perish,  but  shall 
end  in  fruition,  even  the  fruition  of  God. 

Samuel  L.  Beiler. 


THE  KING  IN  ZION.  12% 


II. 
THE  KING  IN  ZION- 

Psa.  ii,  I-I2. 

GOLDEN  TEXT— Blessed  are  all  they  that  put  their  trust  in  him. 

Psa.  ii,  12. 

That  this  Psalm  was  written  by  King  David  is  ex- 
pressly stated  in  Acts  iv,  25.  He  had  been  victorious 
over  his  enemies.  He  was  firmly  established  in  his 
kingdom.  His  best  friend  and  counselor,  Nathan,  had 
assured  him  that  God  would  greatly  bless  and  prosper 
him  and  his  heirs.  When  full  of  courage  and  hope 
there  seems  to  have  come  to  him  the  vision  recorded  in 
this  Psalm  of  the  Messiah,  born  in  his  own  royal  line, 
yet  in  very  truth  the  Son  of  God,  whose  dominion  would 
be  over  all  men  and  whose  kingdom  would  be  forever. 

We  believe  that  David  here  wrote  of  the  Messiah  who 
was  called  Jesus,  both  because  his  words  are  so  inter- 
preted in  Acts  iv,  and  because  the  Psalm  wonderfully 
applies  to  the  opposition  of  wicked  men  to  Jesus  Christ, 
and  describes  his  victory  over  them. 

The  Psalm  is  divided  into  four  stanzas  of  three  verses 
each,  and  in  form  it  is  dramatic,  four  different  speakers 
taking  part. 

Sta7iza  I.    In  the  first  stanza  the  heathen  nations  are 

shown  as   united  in  their  rebellion   against  Christ.     In 
6 


122  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

their  impotent  rage  they  repeat  the  words  of  the  third 
verse. 

With  amazement  the  Psalmist  asks  why  men  are  ar- 
rayed against  the  Lord.  The  question  is  apt  to-day. 
Why  are  people  opposed  to  the  pure  teaching  of  God's 
book  ?  Because  the  laws  of  God,  of  righteousness,  are 
considered  mere  cords  and  bands  that  unnecessarily  re- 
strain the  natural  tendencies  and  hold  in  check  the 
heart's  impulses.  Men  are  opposed  to  God  because  they 
are  self-willed.  Many  people  regard  religion  as  bit  and 
bridle  to  keep  one  who  wears  them  in  the  dusty  road, 
even  as  a  pack-horse  is  kept  submissive  to  a  master's 
will,  and  burdened  with  a  heavy  load.  But  that  which 
is  here  called  bands  and  cords  is  rather  the  touch  of 
God's  hand  to  guide  the  children  of  his  care  into  safety 
and  permanent  happiness. 

Those  who  think  they  can  cast  off  the  authority  of 
God  imagine  a  vain  thing,  since  the  laws  of  growth  and 
decay  are  not  more  certain  than  the  laws  that  obtain  in 
the  moral  and  religious  domain.  One  can  no  more  es- 
cape the  law  that  an  evil  act  brings  an  evil  consequence 
to  him  who  does  it  than  he  can  the  law  of  gravitation. 
Any  man  who  believes  he  can  find  permanent  good  in 
any  but  God's  way  imagines  a  vain  thing.  All  those 
who  seek  the  gratification  of  passions  and  appetites  in 
unlawful  ways  finally  discover  that  such  imagined  pleas- 
ure ends  in  sorrow  and  trouble. 

Ever  since  Christ  came  people  have  been  trying  to 
overthrow  his  kingdom,  and  some  of  them  have  vainly 


THE  KING  IN  ZION.  123 

imagined  that  they  have  succeeded.  In  the  third  cent- 
ury Diocletian  believed  he  had  utterly  destroyed  Chris- 
tianity. A  medal  was  struck  in  his  honor  bearing  the 
words,  "  The  name  of  Christian  being  extinguished,"  and 
a  monument  was  erected  to  him  for  "  having  every-where 
abolished  the  superstition  of  Christ."  Voltaire  said  : 
"  In  less  than  a  hundred  years  Christianity  will  have 
been  swept  from  existence,  and  will  have  passed  into 
history,"  But  the  house  where  Voltaire  lived  has  be- 
come a  depot  for  a  Bible  society  and  is  packed  full  of 
Bibles,  while  his  old  printing-press  has  been  used  to 
print  the  Word  of  God.  It  was  said  in  the  French  Revo- 
lution that  the  superstitions  of  eighteen  centuries  had 
been  overthrown  ;  but  to  satisfy  the  religious  instinct 
that  was  not  overthrown  a  mock  religion  was  instituted 
which  lived  but  for  a  day,  and  now  Christ's  kingdom 
prospers  among  the  children  of  the  Revolution. 

Stanza  II.  In  the  second  stanza  the  scene  is  entire- 
ly changed,  and  we  have  a  picture  of  God  secure  on  his 
throne  in  heaven.  We  have  seen  kings  and  rulers  in 
confusion  and  rage,  seeking  to  throw  off  divine  author- 
ity. Here  we  see  the  Almighty  in  peace  and  tranquil- 
lity on  the  throne  of  his  power.  While  God  is  every- 
where present,  the  center  of  his  kingdom  is  in  heaven. 
He  is  far  above,  and  unmoved  by,  the  passions  and  vain 
conceits  of  foolish  men.  In  wisdom  and  power  he  looks 
upon  the  weakness  and  folly  of  wicked  men,  and  in  his 
perfect  comprehension  of  their  puny,  mad  efforts  he  is 
said  to  laugh  and  to  hold  them  in  derision.     Every  man 


12 J^  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

violating  the  law  of  God,  as  that  law  is  revealed  to  him 
in  the  Bible,  or  in  his  own  conscience,  should  be  startled 
and  confounded  by  the  thought  that  his  course  brings 
him  into  derision  of  One  who  is  absolutely  wise  and  holy. 

But  God  not  only  has  knowledge  of  men;  he  also  has 
an  active  bearing  toward  men.  Because  of  their  wicked- 
ness he  feels  toward  them  wrath,  and  in  his  dealing 
with  them  he  will  manifest  his  sore  displeasure.  Divine 
wrath  is  not  simply  against  sin,  but  it  is  against  those 
who  commit  sin.  There  is  no  abstract  sin  apart  from 
the  heart  and  will  where  it  is  born,  and  the  hands  or  the 
tongues  which  commit  it.  Sin  is  made  to  appear  less 
awful  by  the  frequent  declaration  that  the  heavenly  Fa- 
ther is  angry  at  sin,  but  holds  no  wrath  against  the  sin- 
ner. In  God's  wrath  there  may  always  be  pity,  and 
toward  the  sinner  who  forsakes  his  evil-doing  there  is 
tender  mercy;  but  God's  indignation  against  sin  is  ha- 
tred of  an  abstraction,  but  anger  against  a  person.  Just 
as  a  shepherd  traces  the  slaughter  of  his  lambs  back  to 
the  wolf,  so  God  traces  all  wrong-doing  back  to  him  who 
committed  it ;  and  as  the  shepherd's  anger  is  directed 
against  the  wolf,  so  God's  sore  displeasure  is  directed 
against  the  sinner. 

But  notwithstanding  man's  sin  and  God's  wrath  he  has 
established  his  King  upon  the  holy  hill  of  Zion.  God's 
King  is  to  reign  for  him,  and  the  earthly  kingdom  is  to 
have  as  its  ideal  the  heavenly  kingdom.  While  the 
worldly  kingdom  was  entitled  to  cover  the  whole  earth, 
it  began  upon  the  holy  hill  of  Zion,  the  fortified  strong- 


THE  KING  IN  ZION.  125 

hold  where  was  King  David's  palace,  where  David's 
greater  Son,  Christ,  taught  and  was  crucified.  The  pur- 
pose of  God  in  establishing  his  King  is  a  purely  merci- 
ful one.  If  we  are  astonished  at  human  rebellion  against 
God  we  have  no  less  cause  of  astonishment  at  God's  lov- 
ing-kindness and  long-suffering  toward  humanity. 

Stanza  III.  Again  the  scene  changes,  and  we  have  a 
prophetic  picture  of  the  anointed  Son  announcing  the 
Father's  purpose  to  give  him  final  dominion  over  all  the 
earth.  The  Sonship  of  Christ  was  declared  by  the  voice 
from  heaven,  both  at  his  baptism  and  his  transfiguration, 
in  the  words,  "  This  is  my  beloved  Son  in  whom  I  am 
well  pleased." 

To  Christ  are  promised  the  heathen  nations  and  the 
farthest  parts  of  the  earth.  He  inherits  by  right  as  God's 
Son,  and  possesses  by  virtue  of  his  power  as  a  moral 
and  religious  conqueror.  At  the  end  of  his  few  weary 
years  on  earth  Jesus  sent  out  his  embassadors  to  every 
nation  and  people  to  teach  them  the  laws  of  his  life  and 
his  kingdom.  He  had  said,  "  Heaven  and  earth  shall 
pass  away,  but  my  words  shall  not  pass  away."  And 
with  that  assurance  those  embassadors  went  out  to  bring 
all  the  world  into  subjection  to  him.  The  prophecy 
that  Christ  is  to  prevail  over  all  the  nations  is  not  sim- 
ply recorded  in  the  Bible,  but  is  scarcely  less  plainly 
written  in  every  Christian  heart ;  for  every  one  who  has 
faith  in  the  living  God  must  believe  that  truth  and  jus- 
tice and  right,  the  very  principles  of  Christ's  kingdom, 
will  eventually  completely  triumph. 


126  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

It  has  been  well  said,  "  It  is  written  in  the  reddest  of 
American  blood  that  no  question  is  settled  till  it  is  set- 
tled right."  Just  as  the  question  of  slavery  would  not 
down  till  it  was  settled  right,  so  the  terrible  problem  of 
intemperance  will  rest  only  when  sobriety  every-where 
prevails;  and,  indeed,  every  political,  social,  moral,  and 
religious  problem  will  sometime  be  solved  according  to 
the  law  of  Christ. 

The  dominion  of  Christ  has  spread  farther  and  farther 
during  all  the  Christian  era,  but  never  has  there  been  so 
rapid  progress  as  at  the  present  time.  It  seems  proba- 
ble that  in  twenty-five  years  every  creature  will  have 
heard  the  Gospel.  In  a  single  year  over  one  million 
heathen  people  were  converted  and  joined  Christian 
churches.  More  than  one-tenth  of  the  American  In- 
dians are  now  Christians  in  faith  and  character.  Nearly 
one-fourth  of  the  people  of  this  nation  are  to-day  church 
members,  while  at  the  beginning  of  this  century  only 
one-fifteenth  were  members  of  the  Church.  There  is  a 
net  gain  of  nearly  thirteen  new  churches  for  every  work- 
ing day  of  the  year,  and  the  gain  in  the  number  of 
Christian  ministers  is  eleven  for  each  day,  including 
Sunday. 

In  reading  the  prophecy  that  Christ  will  break  the 
heathen  with  a  rod  of  iron,  and  dash  them  to  pieces  like 
a  potter's  vessel,  we  must  never  forget  Christ's  own 
words  :  "  The  Son  of  man  is  not  come  to  destroy  men's 
lives,  but  to  save  them."  Christ  destroys  his  enemies 
when  he   makes  them  his  friends.     He  dashes  them  in 


THE   KING  IN  ZION.  127 

pieces  when  national  governments,  bound  to  Idolatry 
and  iniquity,  both  by  civil  laws  and  social  customs,  are 
overthrown,  and  new  governments  are  inaugurated  that 
will  be  more  favorable  to  the  admission  of  the  true  faith 
and  life.  But  it  is  also  to  be  remembered  that  those 
who  will  not  yield  to  truth  and  righteousness  will  finally 
be  destroyed.  The  man  who  throws  himself  in  unyielding 
rebellion  against  God  cannot  but  dash  himself  to  pieces, 
even  as  the  sea-wave  rushes  against  the  mighty  rocks. 

Stanza  IV.  We  have  in  the  fourth  stanza  the  con- 
clusion and  admonition  of  the  poet-preacher.  He  ex- 
horts men  to  receive  the  Son  with  affectionate  obedi- 
ence as  Master  and  Lord.  It  is  the  part  of  wisdom  to 
welcome  instruction.  Only  the  foolish  are  satisfied  and 
conceited  in  their  own  notions.  Wisdom  transmutes 
knowledge  into  character  and  power.  Wisdom  leads 
men  in  safety  into  the  kingdom  of  the  Messiah.  When 
Christ  came  it  was  the  wise  men  who  came  to  him  with 
their  glad  recognition  of  his  Kingship,  and  the  wise  in 
all  the  ages  have  found  him  the  Son  of  God.  It  has 
been  said  Christianity  is  not  for  the  learned,  but  for  the 
lowly  in  knowledge  ;  but  learning  keeps  no  man  from 
finding  God.  Gladstone  declares :  "  During  the  many 
years  I  was  in  the  cabinet  I  was  brought  into  association 
with  sixty  master  minds,  and  all  of  them  but  five  were 
Christians." 

To  serve  the  Lord  with  fear  is  the  true  wisdom.  To 
sin  against  him  is  the  supreme  folly.  Obedience  to  the 
divine  word  is  obedience  to  the  law  of  our  being.    What 


1S8  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

God  commands  in  the  Bible  he  demonstrates  in  human 
experience.  The  man  who  discovers  the  will  of  the 
Lord  may  well  rejoice,  for  in  doing  that  will  there  is  the 
highest  good  and  the  truest  happiness.  But  not  only 
obedience  is  demanded  by  Christ,  but  also  affectionate 
homage ;  since  the  will  cannot  fully  yield  if  the  heart  is 
not  given  to  him.  They  who  merely  serve  the  Lord 
may  find  only  galling  slavery,  but  they  who  also  kiss 
the  Son  enter  into  the  most  perfect  liberty. 

"  In  man's  brief  space  on  earth  it  is  possible  to  perish 
from  the  way,"  to  lose  the  road  to  happiness  and  heaven. 

The  practical  teaching  of  the  Psalm  is  summed  up  in 

its  last  sentence,  the  Golden  Text,  the  blessed  are  those 

who  are  happy  because  of  their  rightness.    They  are  first 

of  all  true,  and  therefore  they  are   happy.     People  can 

be  right  just  as  they  trust  in,  intrust  themselves  with,  the 

Son  of  God,  who  thus  becomes  their  loved  Master  and 

their  complete  Saviour. 

J.  S.  Davis. 


GOD'S  WORKS  AND   WORD.  129 


III. 

GOD'S   WORKS    AND   WORD. 

Psa.  xix,  1-14. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— The  law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect,  converting  the 
soul.     Psa.  xix,  7. 

This  Psalm  reflects  the  memories  of  David  when  alone 
with  God  among  the  hills  of  Bethlehem.  "  The  fresh 
mountain  air  of  Bethlehem  blows  through  it,  and  the  dew 
of  life's  quiet  morning  is  on  it."  This  whole  Psalm  is  a 
unit.  It  is  the  song  of  one  continuous  inspiration.  The 
three  central  thoughts  which  these  fourteen  verses  con- 
tain are  Nature,  Scripture,  and  Humanity. 

I.  Nature.     These  first  few  verses   remind   us  of  the 

young  shepherd  boy  busy  with  his  pastoral  work  among 

his  father's  sheep.     There   yonder  in  the  pastures  or  in 

the  olive-yards  of  the  ancient   hamlet  is  Seen  a  boy  of  a 

dozen  summers.     His  eyes  are  lovely.     They  are  large 

and  liquid,  as  becomes  a  poet's  eye.     His  face,  so  fair,  has 

a  touch  of  youthful   color  on   it.     In  striking   difference 

from  his  swarthy  and  burly  brothers  passing  through  the 

pastures,  his  hair  is  golden,  like  an  autumn  sunset.      But 

a  boy  !     There  he  stands  leaning  on  his  shepherd's  staff, 

looking  up  to  God  in  self-forgetful  contemplation.     It  is 

now  night.     O,  the  beauty  of  this  Syrian  sky !     As  the 

stars  stood  out  in  numberless  array  before  the  wander- 
er 


ISO  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

ing  eye  of  Abraham,  they  seemed  to  fill  with  peculiar 
brightness  some  of  those  calm  nights  in  his  shepherd  life. 
The  heavens  speak  to  him.  The  glory  of  God  is  re- 
vealed. The  air  sweet  with  the  fragrance  of  some  neigh- 
boring vineyard,  the  dews  now  gathering,  the  brooks 
now  running,  some  bird  alone  with  the  night  in  song, 
the  west  wind  bringing  an  unexpected  shower,  all  talk 
to  him  of  God.  Now  it  is  daybreak.  The  sun  is  rising 
over  the  mountains  of  Moab.  Suddenly,  so  unlike  the 
long  twilight  in  northern  lands,  the  morning  breaks  in 
the  beauty  of  a  bridegroom  coming  from  his  bridal 
chamber  and  going  forth  like  a  runner  anxious  to  begin 
his  task.  And  through  the  whole  day  he  follows  him 
as  he  swiftly  runs  his  course,  until  the  valley  of  the  Jor- 
dan feels  the  heat  of  that  Eastern  noon  and  the  treeless 
hills  on  the  south  burn  under  his  scorching  eye. 

The  work  shows  the  character  of  the  workman.  God's 
goodness,  wisdom,  patience,  and  power  are  seen  in  the 
things  he  hath  wrought. 

One  of  our  great  American  prose-poets  describes  the 
glories  of  the  morning.  What  is  the  difference  between 
them  ?  It  is  the  difference  in  the  inspiration.  David's 
harp  is  touched  by  the  fingers  of  heaven.  The  one  is  a 
message  of  God  in  man  to  men;  David's  is  a  message 
of  God  to  man  for  men. 

2.  Scripture.  From  the  seventh  to  the  eleventh 
verses  the  Psalmist  speaks  of  the  revelation  of  God  in 
his  written  word.  The  sudden  transition  in  thought  and 
rhythm    is   in  harmony  with  the  progress  made   in  the 


GOD'S   WORKS  AND    WORD.  131 

Psalm  from  nature  to  the  written  book.  The  law  which 
is  referred  to,  according  to  the  marginal  reading,  is  the 
teaching  of  our  Lord,  and,  therefore,  includes  the  Testa- 
ments. The  Bible  is  the  holy,  inspired  Scriptures.  We 
do  not  assume  that  all  parts  of  Scripture  are  of  equal 
value  or  have  the  same  degree  of  inspiration ;  but  we 
can  say  with  Martin  Luther  as  we  turn  its  sacred  pages, 
"  God's  word  here,  God's  word  there." 

In  general  terms  we  do  not  claim  for  the  Bible  that  it 
is  a  great  book,  a  good  book,  a  peculiar  book  only.  We 
do  not  say  merely  that  it  contains  the  deepest  philos- 
ophy, the  grandest  ethics,  the  finest  rhetoric.  It  is  not 
enough  to  declare  that  its  Christ  is  an  unimpeachable  char- 
acter ;  that  as  an  agency  among  men  it  is  most  benefi- 
cent ;  that  its  writers  were  filled  with  holy  enthusiasm  ; 
that  for  our  rapidly  growing  civilization  it  is  the  neces- 
sity of  the  age.  The  Bible  is  the  one,  final,  eternal  reve- 
lation of  God  to  men.  There  has  been  no  other  written 
record  sent  us.  In  the  richness  of  its  contents,  in  the 
comprehensiveness  of  its  truth,  in  the  sublimity  of  its 
purpose,  this  book  speaks  as  a  finality  to  the  world. 
The  divine  will  is  unchangeable.  What  God  said  yes- 
terday is  the  law  of  the  to-morrow  of  eternity.  There 
are  no  more  Only  Begotten  Sons  for  sacrifice.  Three 
things  the  soul  must  know  about — Deity,  humanity,  and 
immortality.  As  one  has  said,  "  Sometime,  somehow, 
somewhere  God  must  send  messages."  The  question 
of  our  day  is  whether  Biblical  Christianity  or  ritual  re- 
ligion shall  be  supreme.     It  shall  be,  it  is,  the  Bible.     For 


13S  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

it  IS  what  the  king  requires  to  guide  him  in  the  admin- 
istration of  the  kingdom.  Victoria  leans  gracefully  on 
her  Bible,  It  is  what  the  man  of  affairs  must  have  to 
help  him  in  many  business  cares.  It  is  what  the  widow 
needs  for  her  days  of  mourning.  It  is  what  the  chil- 
dren look  to  in  the  times  of  their  sorrow.  We  all  fly  to 
it  as  to  a  rock  for  safest  shelter.  It  is  the  book  that 
goes  to  the  hamlet  as  quickly  as  to  the  palace.  It 
knows  no  sunset.  Its  history  is  sunrise.  It  is  God's 
carrier  of  love,  and  has  gone  out  from  him  on  its  great 
errand  and  rested  in  the  heart  of  humanity. 

David  says,  regarding  the  Scriptures,  that  they  are  his 
"law,"  "testimonies,"  "statutes,"  "fear  of  the  Lord," 
and  his  "judgments."  As  "law,"  it  is  the  teaching  of 
his  will.  As  "testimonies,"  it  reveals  his  nature  and 
man's  need.  As  "  statutes,"  it  indicates  established  or- 
dinances. As  "judgments,"  it  is  his  declaration  of  his 
mind  concerning  human  conduct. 

David  gives  in  these  verses  several  distinct  character- 
istics of  the  Scriptures.  The  Word  of  God  is  divine. 
Seven  times  he  says  in  this  Psalm  that  the  "  law  "  is  the 
covenant  of  Jehovah.  The  Scriptures  speak  out  what 
God  has  spoken  into  them.  Sometimes  it  contains  the 
verbal  utterance  of  God,  sometimes  the  expression  of 
illumined  consciousness,  sometimes  the  mere  narration 
under  divine  guidance  of  familiar  historic  facts.  Paul 
gave  us  the  best  classification  of  literature  when  he  said, 
"All  Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God."  This 
reveals  its  origin.     Its  mission  is  defined  as  one  of  doc- 


GOD'S   WORKS  AND    WORD.  133 

trine,  reproof,  correction,  and  instruction  in  righteous- 
ness. It  is  the  perfect  word,  and  hence  it  is  sufficient. 
Its  sufficiency  is  seen  in  its  opportuneness.  It  gets  us 
hence  to  our  Cheriths  or  tells  us  to  arise  and  go  to  our 
Zarephaths  just  when  we  ought  to  do  it.  It  is  adapt- 
ed to  all  human  circumstances,  so  that  when  we  are 
in  the  rocky  stronghold  like  David  in  Adullam  it  has 
the  tender  word,  "  In  the  secret  of  his  tabernacle  will  he 
hide  me."  It  tells  humanity  of  the  privileges  it  affords 
the  soul,  for  "  Whoso  looketh  into  the  perfect  law  of  lib- 
erty, and  continueth  therein,  .  .  .  this  man  shall  be 
blessed  in  his  deed." 

The  law  of  the  Lord  is  migJity,  "  converting  the  soul." 
The  word  of  God  is  quick  and  powerful.  It  tells  men 
what  they  are,  what  they  should  do,  and  where  they 
are  going.  Two  persons  are  necessary  in  the  study  of 
the  Scriptures,  a  seeking  soul  and  a  saving  God.  The 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  to  teach  men  wisdom  out  of 
the  Word,  and  lead  them  to  careful  consideration  for  this 
life  and  the  life  that  is  to  come. 

David  taught  the  disputed  doctrine  of  infallibility. 
The  Christian's  intuitive  judgment  and  certain  external 
evidences,  such  as  the  honesty,  earnestness,  and  intelli- 
gence of  the  apostles  and  the  prophets,  the  sinlessness 
of  our  Saviour  taught  by  them,  their  own  testimony  to 
the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  divine  attestation 
of  God  by  miracles,  fulfillment  of  prophecy,  atonement 
through  Christ,  make  it  the  authoritative  voice  for  us  to 
follow.     Though  it  does  not   teach  philosophy,  history, 


ISJt  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

or  science,  it  is  philosophical,  historical,  and  scientific. 
We  accept  it. 

It  is  exhilarating ;  for,  as  David  says  here,  it  "  re- 
joiceth  the  heart."  God's  word  convicts  of  sin,  and  so 
in  a  troubled  conscience  produces  sorrow.  Otherwise, 
as  Jeremiah  says,  "  Thy  words  were  found,  and  I  did  eat 
them ;  and  thy  word  was  unto  me  the  joy  and  rejoicing 
of  mine  heart."  It  is  illuminating ;  for  it  enlightens  the 
eyes. 

"  Lord,  everlasting  thanks  be  thine 

For  such  a  bright  display, 
As  makes  the  world  of  darkness  shine 

With  beams  of  heavenly  day." 

Its  purity  is  displayed  in  the  counsels  which  it  gives 
us,  for  it  says,  "  Whatsoever  things  are  true,  honest,  just, 
pure,  lovely,  of  good  report,"  are  to  be  the  subjects  of 
our  meditation ;  and  it  works  purity  in  our  lives,  for  it 
makes  us  pure  in  heart,  so  that  we  shall  see  God.  It  is 
everlasting,  or,  as  one  has  more  literally  translated  it, 
it  is  the  word  which  is  "  standing  up  to  perpetuity." 
The  everlasting  Father  speaks  only  the  everlasting  word. 
It  is  equitable,  for  it  teaches  universal  salvation  as  con- 
ditioned on  personal  faith,  and  is  alive  with  living  in- 
terest in  our  times  to  the  great  need  of  human  frater- 
nity. Communism  and  anarchism  are  answered  by  its 
equity  with  a  "  Masters,  give  unto  your  servants  that 
which  is  just  and  equal,"  and  "  Servants,  be  obedient 
to  them  that  are  your  masters  according  to  the  flesh," 

David  shared  his  son's  estimate  of  the  invaluableness 


GOD'S  WORKS  AND   WORD.  135 

of  the  truth,  for  Solomon  said,  "  Wisdom  is  better  than 
rubies."  The  spirit  of  the  times  and  the  spirit  of  eter- 
nity are  in  a  conflict  as  to  the  relative  supremacy  of 
gold  over  Scripture.  Mammon  and  God  are  face  to  face. 
How  beautiful  the  words  of  David,  "  Sweeter  than  honey 
and  the  honey-comb."  The  word  of  God  is  palatable 
to  them  that  are  spiritual — that  is,  they  who  "hunger 
and  thirst  after  righteousness."  It  is  full  also  of  admo- 
nitions. There  is  a  warning  in  it  issuing  in  the  midst  of 
the  stillness  of  Eden.  It  breaks  forth  from  the  flaming 
top  of  Sinai.  How  Ebal  thunders  with  her  curses,  and 
Gerizim  sings  her  numerous  blessings  ! 

"  Woe  unto  thee,  Chorazin  !  "  "  Woe  unto  thee,  Beth- 
saida  !  "  "  Woe  unto  thee,  scribes  and  Pharisees  !  "  "  Woe 
unto  him  by  whom  the  Son  of  man  is  betrayed  ! "  Un- 
deviating  loyalty  to  God  is  rewarded.  God's  word  re- 
wards us  in  two  ways:  by  perfecting  character — "Whoso 
keepeth  his  word,  in  him  verily  is  the  love  of  God  per- 
fected ' ' — and  by  bringing  us  to  final  triumph ;  for  Christ's 
promise  to  John  was,  "  Because  thou  hast  kept  the  word 
of  my  patience  I  also  will  keep  thee  from  the  hour  of 
temptation." 

3.  Humanity.  This  Psalm,  so  beautiful  in  its  diction, 
spoken  as  Wordsworth  says  all  true  poetry  must  be 
spoken,  from  the  heart  to  the  heart,  a  lyric  of  the  highest 
order,  so  grand  in  its  conception,  closes  with  a  revela- 
tion of  the  human  heart.  It  is  a  searching  confession  of 
the  sinfulness  of  humanity.  With  what  keen  analysis 
David  describes  our  errors,  faults,  and  presumptions !    By 


136  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

errors  he  means  weaknesses.  Our  greatest  weakness  is 
the  misfortune  of  heredity,  our  selfishness.  Our  faults 
are  those  which  appear  to  others  as  they  look  at  us,  but 
are  unknown  to  ourselves.  Burns  was  repeating  David 
when  he  wished  we  had  power  to  see  ourselves  as  others 
see  us.  What  we  really  are  is  not  what  we  appear  to  be  to 
ourselves,  but  the  picture  we  cast  on  the  lives  of  others. 
The  truest  estimate  of  a  man  is  in  his  neighbor.  Pre- 
sumptuous sins  are  serious  crimes  of  a  nature  that  has 
fallen  little  by  little  from  God.  But  David  believed  in 
deliverance.  Here  is  the  twofold  view :  fallen  humanity 
ruled  by  sin  ;  restored  humanity  regulated  by  love.  This 
deliverance  from  sin  is  found  in  humility  and  trust.  The 
Psalmist  calls  himself  a  servant.  That  man  will  reach 
perfect  deliverance  who  first  has  reached  perfect  humil- 
ity. David  believed  that  to  be  a  servant  of  the  devil 
was  not  wise,  but  to  be,  like  Paul,  a  "  slave  of  God,"  was 
to  get  lordship  through  Christ  over  himself. 

And  now  this  Psalm  that  opened  with  this  reference 
to  an  ideal  picture  of  nature,  in  which  the  "  heavens  de- 
clare the  glory  of  God,  and  the  firmament  showeth  his 
handiwork,"  closes  with  another,  an  ideal  for  the  soul,  in 
which  the  glory  is  that  of  Christ's  tranquillity  within  us, 
and  his  handiwork  in  the  operation  of  grace  upon  us. 
There  are  three  characteristics  of  a  perfect  life  which  the 
Psalmist  emphasizes  in  the  closing  verses.  Practice,  for 
"  he  that  committeth  sin  is  the  servant  of  sin."  Speech, 
both  of  free  conversation  and  silent  reflection.  A  holy 
man  not  only  does  not  say  impure  things,  but  he  does 


GOD'S  WORKS  AND   WORD.  131 

not  think  them.  And,  finally,  the  realization  of  personal 
union  with  God,  so  that  we  can  say,  "  O  Lord,  my 
strength,  and  my  redeemer," 

The  Psalmist  reminds  one  of  a  young  golden  eagle 
who  is  soaring  under  the  bright  sky  and  is  looking  for 
his  eyrie  in  a  distant  and  lofty  cliff;  and  as  David  comes 
nearer  God  he  hears  his  voice  in  Scripture,  and  still 
nearer  he  comes  until  his  own  redeemed  soul  alights  on 
the  bosom  of  God,  saying,  "  My  Rock,  and  my  Re- 
deemer." 

George  A.  Phinney. 


138  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 


IV. 
THE  LORD  MY  SHEPHERD. 

Psa.  xxiii,  i-6. 

GOLDEN     TEXT.— The  Lord  is  my  shepherd;   I  shall  not  want. 

Psa.  xxiii,  I. 

This  is  a  purely  devotional  Psalm.  The  royal  writer 
remembered  his  early  craft.  He  led  his  flock  with  an 
affectionate  solicitude.  He  delivered  them  from  the 
lion  and  the  bear.  He  sought  for  them  the  most  fertile 
pastures.  He  restored  the  straying  to  the  safe  paths 
again.  With  his  crook  and  staff  he  scaled  the  rough 
places  to  return  them  to  the  shelter  of  the  fold. 

The  early  training  often  fashions  the  thoughts  of  later 
years.  The  holy  soldier  prays  and  talks  in  military  lan- 
guage, the  sailor  embellishes  his  religious  utterances  with 
nautical  phrases.  Thus  David  associates  his  Lord  with 
the  scenes  of  a  pastoral  life.  Of  the  two  hundred  and 
fifty-four  names  ascribed  to  Christ  in  the  Scriptures,  no 
one  more  tenderly  touches  the  human  instincts  than 
"  Shepherd."  He  says  of  himself,  "  I  am  the  good  shep- 
herd. My  sheep  hear  my  voice,  and  I  know  them,  and 
they  follow  me  :  and  they  shall  never  perish,  neither  shall 
any  pluck  them  out  of  my  hand." 

The  Psalm  presents  five  fundamental  truths. 

I.  Divine  Sustenance.     "  I  shall  not  want."     The  bane 


THE  LORD  MY  SHEPHERD.  139 

of  human  life  is  worry.  Though  well  supplied  for  to-day, 
we  are  painfully  apprehensive  of  future  famine.  The 
present  bliss  is  drowned  in  the  restless  struggle  to  make 
to-morrow  sure.  What  a  contrast  with  this  feverish 
rush  after  possessions  as  a  prop  for  coming  needs  is  the 
opening  strain,  "  I  shall  not  want.  He  maketh  me  to 
lie  down  in  green  pastures." 

Contentment  is  a  pillar  of  strength  to  the  soul.  Not 
to  want  nor  fear  want  is  a  perennial  supply.  To  lie 
down  in  pastures  of  tender  grass  is  a  figure  of  refreshing 
rest  amid  luxuriant  growth  and  fruitfulness.  "  Why 
art  thou  cast  down,  O  my  soul  ? "  Here  is  a  present 
luxury.  Not  in  the  "  sweet  fields  beyond  the  swell- 
ing flood,"  but  here  among  anxious  multitudes  strug- 
gling for  bread  we  may  contentedly  nestle  in  the 
fertile  meadows  of  his  grace  and  have  abiding  rest. 

2.  Divine  Guidance.  "He  leadeth  me  beside  the  waters 
of  stillness."  The  quiet  lamb  reposing  on  the  grassy 
bank  represents  the  calmness  of  the  soul  whom  the 
Good  Shepherd  leads.  His  gentleness  and  meekness,  un- 
moved by  the  surrounding  agitations,  are  models  of  the 
characters  who  learn  to  implicitly  follow  where  he  guides. 
It  is  to  such  he  says,  "  My  peace  I  give  unto  you."  If 
weak  human  nature  breaks  from  the  path  at  any  point, 
"  He  restoreth  my  soul ;  "  and  by  his  gentleness  makes 
it  great,  and  leads  it  "  in  the  paths  of  righteousness  for 
his  name's  sake." 

3.  He  not  only  Guides,  but  he  Protects.  There  are 
dreaded  evils  in  this  daily  path,  and  before  the  final  fold 


UO  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

is  reached  comes  one  greater  than  all.  It  appears  in  the 
distance  like  a  deep  valley  between  huge  and  rugged 
heights.  Through  the  dense  darkness  no  sun  ever  shone 
but  the  Sun  of  righteousness.  No  torch  ever  illumined 
it  but  that  of  faith.  No  gleam  of  philosophy,  no  smile  of 
a  fellow-pilgrim,  ever  cheers  the  lonely  passer  that  way. 
But  the  Good  Shepherd  has  pioneered  that  path.  His 
rod  and  staff  are  familiar  to  the  hideous  journey.  Lean- 
ing upon  these  the  valley  is  transmuted  into  summits 
and  the  darkness  into  light.  Bishop  Gilbert  Haven  de- 
clared as  he  stepped  into  it :  "  There  is  no  valley,  no 
river,"  and  walked  on  mountain  peaks  blazing  with  in- 
effable glory  into  the  city  of  light. 

4.  Royal  Abtindancc.  "Thou  preparest  a  table  before 
me,"  etc.  Enemies  throng  the  way  of  a  good  man. 
They  do  not  always  resemble  wolves,  but  may  be  mistaken 
for  one  of  the  flock.  They  are  clothed  in  raiment  of 
light,  and  assume  forms  of  angelic  beauty.  They  pre- 
sent plausible  questions  on  practical  life,  and  bewilder 
the  judgment  on  the  daily  tests  of  necessity  and  supply. 
What  shall  I  eat,  and  wherewithal  shall  I  be  clothed  ? 
Who  can  set  a  table  when  there  is  no  food  in  the  larder  ? 
The  Good  Shepherd  hushes  these  insinuations  of  doubt 
by  preparing  us  a  king's  feast.  It  is  not  a  sufficiency 
only,  but  a  superabundance.  Like  the  grass  that  springs 
up  every-where,  and  the  millions  of  blossoms  blown  from 
over-laden  boughs,  the  royal  banquet  is  a  miracle  of 
supply.  His  pardon  is  an  abundant  pardon.  His  gifts 
are  "  how  much   more  "   than  an    earthly  father's  good 


THE  LORD  MY  SHEPHERD.  11^1 

bestowments.  Twelve  gates  open  into  his  treasury  an- 
nouncing that  "  He  is  able  to  do  exceeding  abundantly 
above  all  that  we  ask  or  think." 

And  all  this  in  the  presence  of  the  enemies  who  plot 
our  ruin.  They  shall  see  our  royal  bounty.  They  shall 
witness  our  running-over  cup  of  blessing.  When  the 
Egyptians  sought  to  destroy  Israel  by  slaying  the  male 
children  at  birth,  and  by  cruel  bondage,  "  the  more  they 
afflicted  them  the  more  they  multiplied  and  grew. 
"  And  they  were  grieved  because  of  the  children  of  Is- 
rael." The  enemies  of  the  righteous  are  maddened  at 
their  prosperity. 

5.  Divine  Faithfulness.  "  Surely  goodness  and  mercy 
shall  follow  me,"  etc.  The  flock  follows  the  shepherd, 
and  is  itself  followed  by  the  vigilant  dogs  who  guard  the 
rear  against  hostile  attacks.  The  Psalmist's  life  was  one 
of  danger  and  sometimes  defection  from  the  path  of 
righteousness,  and  he  remembered  that  goodness  and 
mercy  had  followed  him  in  those  perilous  times.  Good- 
ness is  the  permanent  quality  in  love  that  pervades  all 
the  works  of  our  Father.  It  makes  the  sun  to  rise  on 
the  evil  and  on  the  good,  and  sends  rain  upon  the  just 
and  unjust.  It  patiently  nurses  and  nourishes  the 
refractory  and  rebellious.  It  supplies  with  loving  con- 
tinuance and  long-suffering  those  who  requite  divine 
favors  with  hate  and  disobedience.  But  to  those  who  fol- 
low him  fully  his  goodness  is  wonderful.  There  are 
special  providences,  divine  interferences,  and  intercep- 
tions that  sweetly  work  the  will  without  coercing  it ;  and 


U2  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

there  are  systems  of  reward  for  virtuous  deeds  that  make 
even  the  gift  of  a  cup  of  cold  water  worthy  of  remem- 
brance when  given  for  goodness'  sake. 

Mercy  is  goodness  operating  in  behalf  of  the  suffering. 
"The  Lord  is  very  pitiful,  and  of  tender  mercy  "  toward 
all.  Not  a  throb  of  pain  that  does  not  find  a  response 
in  his  sympathetic  nature.  But  mercy  can  be  resisted 
and  refused.  There  is,  therefore,  a  method  in  mercy.  It 
is  mercy  to  the  righteous  that  penalties  follow  sin.  It  is 
mercy  to  the  evil  that  they  suffer  while  in  the  paths  of 
disobedience.  Mercy  follows  the  righteous  as  a  distinct- 
ive form  of  divine  compassion.  "  For  as  the  heaven  is 
high  above  the  earth,  so  great  is  his  mercy  toward  them 
that  fear  him.''  "Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children, 
so  the  Lord  pitieth  them  that  fear  him."  There  is  a 
significant  emphasis  upon  the  classification,  "  Them  that 
fear  him."  It  is  the  sheep  who  hear  his  voice,  and  follow 
him,  who  are  followed  by  these  watchful  guardians, 
Goodness  and  Mercy.  With  such  faithful  guiding  and 
following  all  the  days  of  an  earthly  life,  one  is  surely 
made  meet  to  "dwell  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  forever." 

This  beautiful  Psalm,  illustrating  by  its  simple  pastoral 
references  the  solicitude,  protection,  and  promise  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  "  that  great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep," 
is  rich  in  its  phases  of  religious  experience. 

I.  The  Individuality  of  Religious  Experience.  Seven- 
teen times  in  these  brief  sentences  is  the  first  personal 
pronoun  used.  It  is  the  one  sheep  that  is  conscious  that 
all  the  power  and  love  of  the  Shepherd  are  pledged  to 


THE  LORD   MY  SHEPHERD.  1^ 

its  safety  and  sustenance.  A  wide  distribution  of  faith 
is  commendable ;  the  parish  for  our  prayers  and  chari- 
ties is  the  world,  but  soul-strength  comes  of  personal  ap- 
propriations of  the  divine  nature  and  promises. 

The  brute  creation  is  the  object  of  God's  care.  Not 
a  sparrow  falls  to  the  ground  without  his  notice.  Not 
an  insect  flits  in  the  sunlight  in  which  is  not  the  miracle 
of  life  sustained  by  his  hand.  But  these  are  not  his 
children.  They  cannot  say  of  him,  "  Our  Father."  Of 
the  birds  he  says, "  Your  heavenly  Father  feedeth  them." 

The  personal  consciousness  that  God  is  mine  gives  the 
key  to  this  Psalm.  It  is  this  that  gives  the  writings  of 
St.  Paul  their  power  to  stir  the  soul  with  the  highest 
aspirations.  "  I  know  whom  I  have  believed  ;  "  "I  can 
do  all  things  through  Christ  which  strengtheneth  me ;  " 
"  I  live,  yet  not  I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me ;  "  these,  like 
the  opening  strain  of  the  song,  "  The  Lord  is  my  shep- 
herd ;  I  shall  not  want,"  are  enough  to  fill  any  station  in 
life  with  sweetest  contentment. 

2.  The  Victory  of  Religious  Experience.  "This  is  the 
victory  that  overcometh  the  world,  even  our  faith." 
This  Psalm  is  rapturously  triumphant.  It  proclaims  de- 
liverance from  the  three  great  fears  that  beset  human 
life :  the  fear  of  want,  the  fear  of  death,  and  the  fear  of 
being  overcome  by  the  mighty  antagonisms  created  by 
sin.  The  victory  over  such  well-grounded  fears  must 
arise  from  a  faith  begotten  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

(i)  That  the  Lord  is  my  Shepherd. 

(2)  That    my  experience    of    his    grace    in    the    past 


lU  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

warrants  this  shout  over  things  yet  to  come.  He  who 
can  exult  that  "  I  have  been  young,  and  now  a  mold ; 
yet  have  I  not  seen  the  righteous  forsaken,  nor  his 
seed  begging  bread"  can  surely  rejoice  that  "I  shall 
not  want." 

(3)  This  victory  also  arises  from  the  present  attitude 
of  the  soul  before  God.  No  one  can  positively  know 
that  he  will  not  be  terrified  when  in  the  agonies  of  death, 
nor  that  he  will  never  turn  from  the  path  of  righteous- 
ness through  unknown  possible  evils,  except  the  soul 
who  is  at  present  conqueror  over  existing  evils.  God 
will  do  for  us  what  he  is  doing.  Paul  says :  "  Shall 
tribulation,  distress,  persecution,  famine,  nakedness, 
peril,  or  sword  be  able  to  separate  us  from  the  love  of 
Christ  ?  Nay,  in  all  these  things  we  are  more  than  con- 
querors."    We  shall,  because  we  can  shout.  We  are. 

3.  TJie  Exuberance  of  Religious  Experience.  There  is 
a  sweet  sense  of  fullness  and  overflow  in  the  soul  that 
does  not  limit  the  Holy  One  of  Israel.  The  cup  running 
over  is  a  fitting  simile  of  the  exceeding  joy,  perfect 
peace,  and  restful  quiet  from  the  ghostly  forebodings 
that  shadow  the  future.  And  it  is  the  overflow  that 
gives  the  impressions  to  others  of  the  truth  and  power 
of  our  holy  religion. 

Emotion  is  dangerous  when  it  takes  the  lead,  espe- 
cially if  the  deep  principles  of  piety,  regulated  by  a  godly 
judgment,  are  wanting.  In  a  climax  the  Psalmist  rises 
from  a  firm  faith  that  the  Lord  is  his  Shepherd,  leads 
him  into  luxurious  supplies,  guides  him    into  paths   of 


THE  LORD   MY   SHEPHERD.  I45 

righteousness,  robs  death  of  its  terrors  and  foes  of  their 
power ;  then  his  exultant  spirit  bursts  out  with  great 
joy,  "  My  cup  runneth  over."  Sterling  principle  based 
on  steady  faith  will  save  emotion  from  fanatical  excesses. 
The  outbursts  of  joy  that  called  for  their  accompani- 
ments of  praise  from  every  thing  that  had  breath,  with 
mountains  and  hills  and  trees,  were  but  the  cup  running 
over.  A  gladsome  salvation,  too  full  of  spiritual  vitality 
for  merely  ceremonial  service,  singing  songs  in  adversity 
till  prisons  rock  and  fears  fly,  is  the  running-over  cup  to 
be  coveted  by  every  child  of  God. 

4.  T/ie  Fellowship  of  Religious  Experience.  The  fellow- 
ship of  kindred  minds  is  beautifully  set  forth  in  the  figure 
of  a  flock  of  sheep.  The  shepherd  knows  and  super- 
intends each,  but  the  flock  is  one.  Each  one  is  happier 
for  its  fellowship  with  all.  The  heavenly  Shepherd 
deals  with  each  soul  separately.  He  walks  with  him 
alone  in  the  fertile  lands  of  "corn  and  wine  and  oil;" 
he  goes  alone  with  him  into  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of 
death  ;  but  he  leads  the  flock  as  one.  His  fellowship 
with  the  one  is  the  bond  that  binds  the  whole  together, 
therefore  the  Church.  Life  is  richer  for  its  associations 
with  the  people  of  God,  and  its  highest  hope  is  to  dwell 
in  such  associations  and  fellowship  forever. 

I.  Simmons. 
7 


146  BOSTON  HO  A/ /LIES. 


V. 
THE  PRAYER  OF  THE  PENITENT. 

Psa.  li,   1-13. 

GOLDEN     TEXT.— Create    in     me    a    clean     heart,    O     God;    and 
renew  a  right  spirit  within  me.     Psa.  li,  10. 

Every  interpretation  of  a  text  of  Scripture  in  isola- 
tion is  a  misinterpretation.  This  text  discloses  at  once 
the  deep  sense  of  need  which  the  Psalmist  felt,  and  also 
his  knowledge  of  the  fact  that  the  help  he  needed,  the 
cleansing  and  the  renewal,  must  come  from  God.  We 
must  seek  to  understand  this  text  by  the  help  of  the 
broad  context,  not  only  of  the  Psalm,  but  of  the  individ- 
ual life  and  times  out  of  which  it  came. 

The  vigor  and  variety  of  words  used  reveal  the  fact 
that  the  consciousness  of  need  was  painfully  real. 

The  soul  of  the  penitent  was  in  agony.  If  we  follow 
the  order  of  the  Psalm  we  find  the  penitent  speaking  of 
"  my  transgressions,"  "  mine  iniquity,"  "  my  sin,"  and  my 
"  blood-guiltiness."  His  confession  is,  "  I  acknowledge 
my  transgressions  :  and  my  sin  is  ever  before  me.  Against 
thee,  thee  only,  have  I  sinned."  He  acknowledges  the 
justice  of  God's  judgments  against  him,  and  vivifies  and 
intensifies  his  consciousness  of  his  own  guilt  and  the 
offensive  deformity  of  his  life  before  God  by  a  recogni- 
tion of  the  bad  heritage  that  came  to  him  as  his  very 


THE  PRAYER   OF   THE  PENITENT.  U7 

birthright.  For  it  can  hardly  be  supposed  that  this  lan- 
guage is  used  for  the  purpose  of  extenuating  his  sin  or 
throwing  back  the  responsibility  for  his  wickedness  upon 
his  mother.  No  suggestion  of  such  a  sentiment  can  be 
made  consistent  with  the  current  of  thought  running 
through  the  Psalm. 

He  prays,  "  Have  mercy  upon  me,"  and,  "  blot  out  my 
transgressions."  They  stand  out  before  him  indelibly 
written  in  God's  great  book.  "  Wash  me  thoroughly 
.  .  .  and  cleanse  me."  "  Purge  me  with  hyssop."  The 
dreadful  dye  is  too  deep  for  any  ordinary  washing. 
"  Make  me  to  hear  joy  and  gladness."  O,  the  misery  of 
the  guilty  soul  !  Crushed  bones  cannot  express  the 
agony.  "  Hide  thy  face  from  my  sins."  He  cannot 
bear  the  thought  that  they  are  ever  before  God.  '*  Blot 
out  all  mine  iniquities."  And  then,  as  though  he  real- 
ized that  God  might  at  any  moment  cast  him  off,  he 
cries  out,  "Cast  me  not  away  from  thy  presence." 
Dreadful  as  is  the  thought  of  his  sins  as  ever  before  God, 
the  thought  of  being  cast  away  from  his  presence  is  more 
dreadful. 

His  language  points  to  conscious  guilt,  and  to  suffer- 
ing that  is  a  torture  ;  both  of  which  are  intensified  by  every 
ray  of  light  that  shines  upon  his  quivering,  sensitive  soul. 
And  under  the  fire  of  conscience  enkindled  by  Nathan's 
parable  the  burning  rays  shine  in  upon  him  from  every 
quarter  of  the  moral  universe — from  the  confusion  and 
peril  of  his  soul,  the  disintegration  of  his  confidence  in 
God,  and  of  his  consciousness   of  God's  gracious  pres- 


1J^8  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

ence;  from  the  disgrace  in  relation  to  his  people;  and 
from  the  forebodings  he  has  of  evil  and  calamities  that 
will  follow  him  and  his  house.  Sin  is  so  central  that  it 
runs  into  and  perverts  the  sinner's  relations  with  all  moral 
beings  in  the  universe. 

This  is  not  a  general  confession  of  sin.  It  is  personal. 
As  one  reads  the  Psalm  through  he  seems  almost  to  be 
listening  to  the  great  criminal  and  sinner,  as  he  alone  in 
his  secret  chamber  pours  out  his  soul  to  the  God  of  all 
grace  ;  we  almost  feel  that  it  is  an  intrusion  to  listen,  so 
intensely  personal  is  the  prayer.  The  suppliant  turns 
not  aside  from  the  thought  that  the  whole  case  is 
between  him  and  God.  He  has  in  mind  the  case  of 
Uriah  the  Hittite  in  his  "blood-guiltiness,"  and  his  sin  is 
pre-eminently  the  planning  of  his  murder  and  the 
taking  of  Bath-sheba  for  his  wife.  It  is  amazing  that 
the  great,  generous-hearted  David,  capable  of  such  friend- 
ship as  that  with  Jonathan,  and  of  such  generosity  as 
that  shown  to  Saul,  could  bring  himself  to  plot  the  mur- 
der of  one  of  his  own  brave  captains,  or,  worse  than  this, 
that  he  could  rob  him  of  his  beautiful  wife,  Bath-sheba. 
We  will  not  pause  to  say  one  word  of  what  other  Orient- 
al monarchs  were  accustomed  to  do,  as  every  writer  on 
this  subject  has  felt  called  upon  to  do.  David  was  a  He- 
brew monarch.  His  motive,  his  several  deeds  in  connec- 
tion with  this  case,  his  device  for  protecting  himself,  and 
his  final  plot :  "  Set  ye  Uriah  in  the  forefront  of  the  hottest 
battle,  and  retire  ye  from  him,  that  he  may  be  smitten, 
and  die  ;"  his  comforting  word  to  Joab  when  the  news  of 


THE   PRAYER   OF    THE   PENITENT.  14$ 

Uriah's  death  is  brought  to  him  :  "  Let  not  this  thing  dis- 
please thee,  for  the  sword  devoureth  one  as  well  as 
another" — these  are  all  dastardly  from  beginning  to  end, 
worthy  only  of  the  unclean,  the  false,  and  the  murderous 
devil  to  whom  he  had  sold  himself.  Had  David  pleaded 
extenuating  circumstances,  his  Psalm  would  have  been 
ethically  false  and  spiritually  worthless.  We  may  be 
sure  that  not  the  least  among  the  causes  of  bitter  repent- 
ance was  the  fate  that  was  to  follow  the  kingdom  of 
which  he  was  the  head,  and  which  was  dearer  to  him  than 
life,  for  he  knew  that  Nathan's  words,  "  the  sword  shall 
never  depart  from  thine  house,"  were  as  true  as  the  par- 
able which  aroused  his  conscience.  "  The  crime  itself 
had  sprung  from  the  lawless  and  licentious  life,  fostered 
by  the  polygamy  which  David  had  been  the  first  to 
introduce ;  and  out  of  this  polygamy  sprang  the  terrible 
retribution."  To  extenuate  our  sin  is  to  hug  the  asp 
to  the  heart. 

With  some  quickened  sense  of  David's  need  we  may 
well  pause  to  gather  up  the  lessons  that  may  be  learned 
by  the  way.  We  have  here  a  clear  case  of  genuine  repent- 
ance. There  is  certainly  very  deep  moral  emotion.  It 
is  not  sorrow  that  his  sin  has  found  him  out.  No  word 
of  this  Psalm  or  of  the  thirty-second,  which  belongs  with 
it,  suggests  such  a  thought.  It  is  not  a  superficial  emo- 
tion. It  seems  to  be  as  deep  as  the  sin  and  as  true  as  the 
truth  itself.  It  is  a  repentance  toward  God,  and  not 
toward  men  to  be  seen  of  them.  All  sin  is  against  God ; 
and,  more  than  all  else,  repentance  is  an  abandonment 


150  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

of  sin.  He  turns  his  back  upon  it,  he  loathes  it.  He 
prays  to  be  delivered  from  its  power  and  to  be  upheld 
in  the  righteous  attitude  toward  God.  This  is  genuine 
New  Testament  repentance.  This  is  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  In  a  sermon  on  "The  Sin  of  Sins"  Dr. 
McClintock  says :  "  The  Holy  Spirit  is  not  sent  to  con- 
vince man  of  the  sinfulness  of  the  transgression  of  God's 
law  in  the  obvious  and  outward  way.  .  .  .  The  thief  knows 
it  is  wrong  to  steal  without  any  operation  of  the  Holy 
Ghost;  the  adulterer  practices  his  devilish  arts  of  seduction 
in  the  face  of  a  reproving  law  and  in  spite  of  an  accusing 
conscience ;  he  does  not  need  the  Holy  Ghost  to  inform 
him  of  the  evil  of  his  course.  .  .  .  The  Holy  Spirit  has  a 
higher  mission."  It  is  "  to  point  out  the  deep  hidden 
root  from  which  all  sin  springs."  He  is  to  "  reprove  the 
world  of  sin  because  they  believe  not  in  me."  The  sin 
of  sins  is  a  wrong  attitude  toward  God  of  intellect,  heart, 
and  will.  This  is  the  unbelief  that  goes  out  into  all  sin. 
David  under  the  work  of  the  Spirit  recognizes  this  clearly. 
"  Against  thee,  thee  only,  have  I  sinned,"  is  his  way  of 
expressing  it. 

It  is  of  little  consequence  what  our  emotions  may  be ; 
of  little  account  how  deeply  we  feel,  or  how  violently  we 
express  our  feelings ;  unless  we  turn  away  from  sin  and 
turn  unto  God,  all  our  emotions  and  tears  are  vain  and 
our  cries  will  prove  to  be  but  as  sounding  brass.  God 
will  hear  none  of  them.  It  will  mean  literally  nothing  in 
the  way  of  reformation  or  character ;  literally  nothing  to 
God. 


THE  PRAYER   OF   THE  PENITENT.  151 

We  must  neither  palliate  nor  excuse  our  sins.  All 
sins  are  essentially  alike.  They  are  different  in  exter- 
nal act  or  form  of  expression,  but  inwardly  they  are  one 
in  their  false  attitude  of  intellect,  rebellious  attitude  of 
will  and  heart  toward  God.  It  is  this  essential  oneness 
of  sin  that  led  James,  under  the  inspiration  of  the  Spirit, 
to  write,  "  For  whosoever  shall  keep  the  whole  law,  and 
yet  stumble  in  one  point,  he  is  become  guilty  of  all." 
And  it  is  this  essential  oneness  that  has  made  David's 
prayer  the  prayer  of  millions  of  penitents  through  all 
the  ages.  It  would  probably  be  claiming  too  much  to 
say  that  every  prayer  in  our  social  meetings  and  in  the 
more  formal  public  service  is  directly  influenced  by  this 
Psalm  ;  but  every  one  may  observe  how  dependent  he  is 
upon  its  words,  its  figures  of  speech,  and  its  direct  peti- 
tions and  suggestions  of  promise  and  mercy,  and  may  at 
the  same  time  learn  how  much  of  the  sacred  literature, 
which  in  its  origin  is  temporal  and  local,  is  in  its  spirit 
applicable  to  all  the  ages. 

We  must  not  suppose  that  the  method  which  thought 
follows  in  getting  an  idea  of  sin  is  the  actual  method  in 
experience.  Thought  is  likely  to  set  sin  up  by  itself, 
and,  when  conviction  has  been  wrought,  bring  God 
in  as  the  helper  and  deliverer.  We  have  studied  that 
phase  of  the  Psalm  which  sets  forth  David's  great  need 
by  isolating  it.  But  in  the  actual  history  the  course  of 
sin  becomes  clear  and  intense  as  the  divine  presence 
becomes  evident  and  the  divine  nature  revealed  to  the 
soul.     The  only  response  David  makes  to  the  charge  of 


152  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

Nathan  is, "  I  have  sinned  against  the  Lord."  His  child 
sickens,  and  he  beseeches  the  Lord  for  his  Hfe.  The 
Lord  is  before  his  eyes  constantly  because  his  sins  are 
now  ever  before  him.  What  other  help  shall  he  seek? 
Why  not  offer  sacrifices  ?  or  repeat  his  creed — a  very  long 
creed,  perchance  ?  or  call  in  the  priest  or  the  prophet  ? 
O,  no  !  None  of  these  nostrums  answer  now.  The  soul 
is  sick  with  a  mortal  malady.  His  cry  is  well  voiced  by 
the  words  of  another  soul  smitten  with  the  same  dread 
malady:  "Who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this 
death?"  He  can  only  fall  back  upon  God,  God  the 
Creator,  who  alone  can  re-create.  "  Create  in  me  a  clean 
heart,  O  God." 

This  is  the  constant  teaching  of  the  New  Testament. 
Paul  teaches  that  "  Paul  may  sow  and  Apollos  may 
water,  but  God  alone  can  give  the  increase."  All  re- 
generative power  is  from  him.  In  these  days  of  grow- 
ing dependence  upon  machinery  in  the  material  world, 
where  its  worth  is  so  evident,  we  need  to  beware  lest  we 
come  to  feel  that  more  machinery  and  better  organiza- 
tion are  all  that  we  need.  First  of  all  we  need  to  keep 
and  intensify  this  sense  of  dependence  upon  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

There  is  another  lesson  for  us  in  the  way  in  which 
David  magnifies  the  mercies  of  God.  This  is  his  only 
hope.  The  manifestation  of  God's  favor  toward  him  in 
the  past,  calling  him  from  the  duties  of  the  shepherd 
boy  to  the  duties  of  the  throne  of  Israel,  warrants  his 
hope  in  God  in  this  spiritual  emergency.      Let  us  often 


THE  PRAYER  OF   THE  PENITENT.  153 

recall  and  continually  magnify  the  mercies  of  God 
toward  us  if  we  would  strengthen  our  faith  for  larger 
manifestations  of  his  grace.  And,  finally,  let  us  note 
that  the  condition  of  successful  work  with  sinners  is, 
first  of  all,  that  we  ourselves  have  the  joy  of  this  salvation ; 
and  if  the  sustaining  power  of  God's  Spirit  be  ours,  then 
may  we  successfully  teach  transgressors  his  ways  and 
sinners  will  be  converted  unto  him. 

'^*  B.  P.  Raymond, 


m  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 


VI. 


DELIGHT  IN  GOD'S  HOUSE. 

Psa.  Ixxxiv,  I-I2. 

GOLDEN    TEXT.— Blessed   are    they   that    dwell    in   thy    house. 

Psa.  Ixxxiv,  4. 

The  proper  setting  of  the  Psalm  is  not  surely  known.  It 
may  have  been  the  song  of  a  pious  Jew  denied  the  privi- 
lege of  joining  the  happy  throng  of  pilgrims  in  their  jour- 
ney to  the  Holy  City.  Or,  after  weary  years  of  absence, 
a  stranger  finds  himself  again  upon  the  threshold  of  the 
great  Temple.  This  more  probable  view  would  make  this 
pearl  of  Psalms  the  expression  of  emotions  which  fill  the 
soul  of  one  whose  long  pilgrimage  is  at  last  completed. 

To  such  a  one  the  sight  of  familiar  scenes  usually 
suggests  a  multitude  of  memories.  In  this  Psalm,  how- 
ever, we  miss  what  we  expect  to  find  and  do  find  else- 
where. Memory  appears  to  be  inactive.  There  is  no 
mention  of  Jerusalem,  nor  of  any  thing  in  it  save  the  tab- 
ernacles of  God.  The  thoughts  of  home  and  friends, 
the  companions  of  other  days,  the  familiar  haunts  of 
childhood,  are  all  absent  from  the  pilgrim's  mind.  His 
face,  his  thought,  his  heart  are  toward  the  Temple.  And 
even  here  we  are  surprised  that  no  mention  is  made  of 
priest  or  chant  or  sacrifice.  Our  pilgrim  is  a  worshiper. 
The  one  great  thought  filling  and  consuming  his  soul  is 
unhindered  and  unmingled  communion  with  God, 


DELIGHT  IN  GOD'S  HOUSE.  155 

In  striking  contrast  with  this  scene  is  a  more  modern 
one.  In  a  certain  city  church  crowds  gather  every  Sun- 
day morning  in  such  numbers  as  to  fill  not  only  the 
pews,  but  frequently  the  standing-room  also.  They 
come  from  far  and  near  to  listen  to  the  performance  of  a 
famous  public  singer,  and  go  out  largely  when  the  per- 
formance is  ended,  leaving  the  minister  to  preach  to  a 
half-emptied  house.  Many  people,  few  worshipers !  We 
need  in  these  days  a  revival  of  that  love  of  pure  worship 
which  breathes  through  this  pilgrim's  song.  More  than 
any  thing  else  just  now  we  need  to  learn  to  worship 
God  in  the  great  congregation.  How  few  are  they,  even 
among  those  who  are  called  worshipers,  who  could  find  a 
just  expression  of  their  deepest  emotions  in  words  like 
these : 

"  How  lovely  is  thy  habitation, 

Jehovah  Sabaoth  ! 

My  soul  longs,  yea,  even  pines  for  the  courts  of  Jehovah  ; 

My  heart  and  my  flesh  ring  out  their  joy  unto  the  living  God." 

The  remainder  of  the  Psalm  divides  itself  into  two  chief 
parts,  the  division  being  marked  by  the  word  "  Selah  "  at 
the  close  of  the  eighth  verse. 

After  the  outburst  of  fervent  desire  for  the  pure  wor- 
ship of  God,  the  singer  in  a  beautiful  figure  sings  a  strain 
of  peace  : 

"  Even  as  the  sparrow  finds  a  house,  and  the  swallow  a  nest, 
Where  she  lays  her  callow  brood, 
[So  have  I  found,  even  I, 
A  home]  by  thine  altars, 
O  my  King  and  my  God." 


156  BOSTOiV  HOMILIES. 

The  author  of  this  version  imagines  the  pilgrim  as  al- 
ready sharing  the  blessing  of  which  he  speaks.  Others 
picture  a  soul  pursued  by  enemies,  longing  for  the  rest  and 
security  afforded  by  the  sacred  precincts  of  the  Temple. 
Whatever  view  we  take,  the  deep  truth  remains  that  the 
true  worshiper  0nds  peace  and  safety  in  the  place  of 
public  worship.  The  thoughts  which  belong  to  other 
days  and  places  may  be  excluded  from  this  place  if  one 
can  only  truly  worship.  The  sermon  critic,  the  one  who 
insists  upon  perfect  music,  he  who  brings  into  God's 
house  the  dusty  garb  of  week-day  toil,  may  be  sorely 
tempted  even  while  performing  the  acts  of  worship  ;  but 
the  true  worshiper  finds  peace  and  is  safe. 

But  listen  again : 

"  Happy  are  they  that  dwell  in  thy  house  !  they  can  be  alway  praising 
thee." 

We  are  reminded  of  Peter's  words  on  the  Mount  of 
Transfiguration.  To  do  literally  what  is  suggested  would 
not  be  well  for  the  individual  and  would  be  a  calamity 
to  the  world.  The  desire  to  dwell  always  in  God's 
house  is,  however,  far  better  than  the  tendency  to  wor- 
ship God  with  his  people  as  infrequently  and  briefly  ^s 
possible.  Too  much  of  one's  time  may  be  spent  in  the 
assembly  of  saints  and  too  little  in  one's  home. 

With  the  multitudes  there  is  danger  that  too  little  time 
shall  be  spent  in  both  church  and  home.  But,  to  return 
to  the  text,  we  in  our  day  have  a  better  interpretation 
of  this  passage  than  even  David — if  he  is  the  writer — 
could  have  had.     The   time  has  come  when  not  in  Sa- 


DELIGHT  IN  COD'S  HOUSE.  157 

maria's  mountain,  nor  in  Jerusalem,  nor  yet  alone  in 
places  set  apart  for  that  purpose,  must  men  worship  the 
Father.  God's  dwelling-place  is  the  trusting  and  obe- 
dient heart.  Those  who  trust  and  obey  may  also  com- 
mune constantly  and  shall  find  the  secret  of  always  prais- 
ing God. 

Another  strain  is  heard  : 

"  Happy  the  man  who  has  thee  for  a  stronghold,  in  whose  heart  are 
thy  ways." 

The  singer's  thought  has  turned  to  the  days  of  pil- 
grimage. The  journey  is  not  irksome  ;  there  is  some- 
thing within  which  exultantly  responds  to  the  call  of 
duty  and  which  shortens  and  makes  smooth  the  way. 
Life  is  frequently  in  Scripture  called  a  path  or  way. 
"The  path  of  the  just  is  as  the  shining  light,  that  shin- 
eth  more  and  more,"  is  the  figure  of  Proverbs.  The- 
path  of  the  just  is  through  the  "  valley  of  balsams,"  but 
the  sandy,  dry,  and  barren  valley  "  becomes  the  source 
of  fountains,  and  the  early  rain  mantles  it  with  bless- 
ing." This  is  the  figure  of  the  Psalmist.  We  find  here 
an  illustration  of  the  fullness  and  honesty  of  Scripture. 
So  far  from  attempting  to  conceal  the  darker  phases  of 
a  righteous  life,  infinite  pains  are  taken  to  inform  him 
who  would  become  a  pilgrim  of  a  certain  valley  through 
which,  sooner  or  later,  he  must  pass,  and  which,  from 
the  reports  of  travelers,  has  gained  the  name  "  valley 
of  weeping."  "  In  this  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation," 
said  Christ.  It  was  an  old  truth.  But  Christ  added,  as 
in  some  form  the  Scriptures  always  add,  "  Be  of  good 


158  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

cheer."  The  philosopher's  stone  of  ancient  lore,  which 
was  reputed  to  have  power  to  transform  the  meanest 
material  into  gold,  was  a  myth.  The  myth,  however, 
was  prophetic  of  a  power  that  should  make  "all  things 
work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God."  This 
is  no  myth. 

We  are  not  surprised,  therefore,  that  the  pilgrim,  in 
whose  heart  are  God's  ways,  comes  out  of  the  valley 
stronger  than  when  he  went  down  into  it.  Whatever 
life's  experiences,  such  as  he  go  from  strength  to 
strength.  Knowing  the  value  of  even  the  hard  things 
of  life,  they  do  not  desire  to  be  coddled.  They  despise 
softness.  What  they  endure  produces  lasting  effects 
upon  character.  Their  souls  develop  nerve  and  spirit- 
ual fiber.  Therefore,  when  weaker  ones  fall  they  stand  ; 
they  are  brave  and  manfully  resist  when  others  tremble 
and  draw  back.  They  are  the  giants  of  their  gener- 
ation. Sometimes  God  honors  them  with  partnership 
in  the  sufferings  of  his  Son.  But  out  of  great  tribu- 
lation they  at  length  emerge,  and  without  spot,  and 
blameless,  stand  before  the  throne.  Every  one  of  them 
"  shall  appear  before  God    in  Zion."     Then  comes  the 

petition : 

"  Jehovah  Sabaoth,  hear  thou  my  prayer  • 
Give  ear,  O  God  of  Jacob." 

Thus  closes  the  first  division  of  our  Psalm.  As  we 
study  the  remaining  verses  it  becomes  evident  that  di- 
verse thoughts  are  crowding  in  upon  the  Psalmist's  mind 
and  clamoring  for  expression.     As   is  common  in  such 


DELIGHT  IN  COD'S  HOUSE,  159 

cases,  the  expression  is  obscure.  Who  is  meant  by 
"thine  anointed?"  It  is  highly  improbable  that  the 
slightest  reference  is  here  made  to  our  Saviour.  The 
king,  the  high-priest,  the  whole  chosen  people,  were  all 
his  "  anointed."  As  to  which  of  these  is  in  the  writer's 
mind  authorities  cannot  agree.  If  David  the  king  is 
also  the  pilgrim,  one  possible  meaning  is  evident.  In  his 
admirable  work  on  the  Psalms  Professor  Cheyne  gives 
an  interpretation  which  to  us  seems  highly  probable : 

"  Several  thoughts  are  in  the  writer's  mind,  and  he 
embodies  them  in  successive  quatrains.  One  is  religious 
loyalty  to  the  king  or  high-priest.  Another,  suggested 
by  the  original  lyric"  (the  first  seven  verses,  according 
to  his  idea)  "  is  the  incomparable  delights  of  God's 
house.  A  third  is  the  completeness  of  the  believer  in 
his  God.  The  first  of  these  thoughts  to  arise  in  the 
Psalmist's  mind  is  that  of  loyalty  to  Israel's  earthly 
head,  and  he  clothes  this  thought  in  the  language  of 
prayer." 

We  have  in  these  days  no  earthly  head  corresponding 
to  Israel's  king  or  high-priest.  The  thought  of  religious 
loyalty  has  nevertheless  a  meaning  for  us.  Paul's  words 
to  Timothy  have  not  lost  all  their  force :  "  I  exhort 
therefore,  that,  first  of  all,  supplications,  prayers,  inter- 
cessions, and  giving  of  thanks,  be  made  for  all  men  ;  for 
kings,  and  for  all  that  are  in  authority;  that  we  may 
lead  a  quiet  and  peaceable  life  in  all  godliness  and  hon- 
esty." Our  bishops,  presiding  elders,  and  pastors,  our 
church    editors   and   publishers,   those  who    control  the 


160  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

secular  press,  and  all  others  in  positions  of  influence,  cer- 
tainly need  divine  help.  Religious  loyalty  would  lead 
us  to  clothe  our  thought  in  the  language  of  prayer  for 
them. 

Next  comes  to  the  singer's  mind  the  thought  of  "  the 
incomparable  delights  of  God's  house:  " 

"  For  better  is  a  clay  in  thy  courts  than  a  thousand  [spent  abroad]; 
I  would  rather  be  at  the  threshold  in  the  house  of  my  God,  than 
dwell  in  the  tents  of  ungodliness." 

Let  us  not  put  the  word  church  with  its  usual  mean- 
ing in  place  of  the  house  of  my  God.  The  church  can 
never  be  to  an  intelligent  Christian  what  the  Temple  was 
to  a  pious  Jew.  For  us  the  meaning  of  the  thought  is  this : 
Let  the  position  of  a  true  worshiper  be  the  humblest, 
the  joys  which  are  his  are  incomparably  beyond  those  of 
the  man  who  forgets  God  and  lives  in  sin,  even  though  he 
be  highly  exalted  among  men.  The  narrower  view,  accord- 
ing to  which  God's  house  and  our  meeting-houses  are 
synonymous,  would  make  it  needful  to  say  something 
about  making  church  services  attractive.  Especially  is 
this  true  if  church  attendance  is  to  be  treated  as  obliga- 
tory. Incomparable  delights  do  not  usually  result  from 
enforced  obedience,  nor  do  they  of  necessity  attend 
upon  much  that  passes  for  sermonizing  and  music.  Bet- 
ter nothing  at  all  than  that  which  is  sometimes  called 
music;  better  the  simple  reading  of  God's  word  than 
some  kinds  of  talks  called  sermons. 

A  single  thought  in  the  Psalm  remains  to  be  noticed. 


DELIGHT  IN  COD'S  HOUSE.  161 

It  is  that  of  the  believer's  completeness  in  God.     The 
language  of  the  Psalmist  can  hardly  be  improved : 

"  For  Jehovah  Elohim  is  a  sun  and  shield, 
Jehovah  gives  grace  and  glory  : 

No  good  thing  will  he   withhold  from   them  that  walk  blame- 
lessly." 

God  is  a  sun  and  shield — as  some  one  has  said,  a  sun 
for  dark  days  and  a  shield  for  dangerous  ones.  Our  in- 
creased knowledge  of  the  solar  system  enables  us  to  put 
much  more  into  the  first  of  these  terms  than  the  Psalm- 
ist could  ;  yet  to  him  both  figures  must  have  been  most 
suggestive.  The  sun  revealed  the  beauties  of  the  land 
through  which  his  pilgrimage  lay,  but  the  dangers  which 
beset  his  path  were  also  made  apparent.  The  shield 
was  his  protection,  sufficient,  however  great  or  numer- 
ous the  dangers  might  be.  The  sun  enabled  the  trav- 
eler to  find  the  springs  of  water  where,  under  the  palm- 
trees,  as  at  Elim,  he  might  drink  and  be  satisfied.  The 
shield  rendered  the  time  of  refreshing  peaceful  and  se- 
cure. In  these  two  figures  are  wrapped  up  "  all  manner 
of  excellency,  provision,  and  prosperity,"  and  "  all  man- 
ner of  protection  whatsoever." 

"Jehovah  gives  grace  and  glory."  We  must  keep 
ever  in  mind  the  thought  of  pilgrimage.  Grace  to 
the  traveler  is  help  over  rough  places,  the  healing  of 
bruised  feet,  protection  from  heat  and  hunger  and 
thirst.  Have  his  adversaries  cruel  designs  against  him  ? 
Grace  thwarts  them.  Does  strength  wane  and  courage 
fail  ?     Grace  revives  his  courage  and  renews  his  strength. 


162  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

Has  the  traveler  lost  his  way?  Grace  causes  a  voice  be- 
hind him  to  whisper,  "  This  is  the  way."  Glory,  to  a  pil- 
grim, is  "  grace  matured."  It  is  to  know  the  end  of  the 
long,  hard  journey,  to  be  at  length  at  the  very  threshold 
of  the  Temple,  to  appear  before  God  in  Zion,  to  inherit 
the  kingdom,  and  to  enter  in.  "  Happy  is  the  man  who 
trusts  in  thee."  Many  desired  things,  but  no  good  thing, 
will  God  withhold  from  him.  Abounding  grace  shall  be 
his  along  the  way,  infinite  glory  when  the  pilgrimage 

shall  end. 

Fred.  H.  Knight. 


A   SONG  OF  PRAISE.  168 


VII. 
A  SONG  OF  PRAISE. 

Psa.  ciii,  1-22. 

GOLDEN    TEXT.— Bless    the    Lord,    O    my   soul,   and    forget    not 
all    his    benefits.     Psa.  ciii,  2. 

This  Psalm  belongs  to  the  last  period  of  Hebrew 
poetry.  It  is  thought  by  Evvald  to  have  been  written 
about  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century  B.  C.  Its  author 
is  unknown,  but  it  is  evident  that  the  one  hundred  and 
fourth  Psalm  is  the  work  of  the  same  master  hand  ;  while 
both  breathe  a  broader  spirit  than  the  mere  intense  Jew- 
ish devoutness  which  characterizes  the  first  "  Songs  of 
Restored  Jerusalem." 

Some  perception  of  a  God  too  great  to  be  the  God  of 
the  Jews  only  seems  to  have  glimmered  in  this  man's 
soul ;  his  inspiration  rises  to  the  sublimity  of  a  thank- 
offering  for  the  universe. 

The  two  Psalms  are  so  manifestly  one — the  first  con- 
sidering Jehovah  in  the  greatness  of  his  character  and 
his  dealings  with  the  individual  man  ;  the  second  rising 
to  the  impassioned  heights  of  a  veritable  Psalm  of  cre- 
ation— that  it  is  difficult  to  separate  them  in  our  thought 
and  study. 

The  one  is  the  complement  of  the  other,  and  they  to- 
gether paint  a  soul-picture  which,  if  viewed  in  the  true 


164  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

spirit  of  devotion,  will  indeed  cause  our  "  meditation  of 
him  "  to  be  ''  sweet." 

But  it  is  of  the  one  hundred  and  third  Psalm  that  our 
lesson  treats.  It  is  well  called  "A  Song  of  Praise." 
From  the  first  word  to  the  last  it  is  a  pouring  forth  of 
the  heart's  treasure  of  praise  and  thanksgiving  ;  a  break- 
ing of  an  alabaster-box  of  very  precious  ointment,  the 
perfume  of  which  has  filled  the  ages. 

Notice:  i.  The  personal  element  in  the  Psalmist's 
praise.  "  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul  :  and  all  that  is 
within  me,  bless  his  holy  name."  This  personal  element 
must  ever  be  the  key-note  of  genuine  praise,  as  it  is  the 
key-note  of  all  vital  piety.  We  cannot  "  praise  the  Lord 
in  the  great  congregation  "  until  we  have  first  praised 
him  in  the  sanctuary  of  our  own  hearts.  We  may  cry 
out  with  all  earnestness  of  word  and  tone,  "  O  that 
men  would  praise  the  Lord  for  his  goodness !  "  but  the 
words  upon  our  lips  will  be  but  as  sounding  brass  unless 
we  have  first  taken  upon  ourselves  the  vow  of  his  serv- 
ant :  "  /  will  bless  the  Lord  at  all  times  ;  his  praise  shall 
continually  be  in  my  mouth." 

That  symphony  of  praise  which  some  day  shall  fill  the 
universe,  when  we  shall  hear  "  the  sound  of  a  great  mul- 
titude, as  the  voice  of  many  waters,"  can  come  only 
from  the  harmonious  blending  of  the  myriad  individual 
voices. 

If  our  notes  are  sweet  and  true,  God  will  take  care  of 
the  harmony. 

2.   Note  that  the  Psalmist  excepts  no  part  of  his  nat- 


A    SONG   OF  PRAISE.  165 

Lire  from  the  obligation  of  praise  :  "All  that  is  within 
me,  bless  his  holy  name." 

Manifestly  there  must  be  heart  and  soul  cleansing  be- 
fore this  can  be  possible.  Sin  cannot  praise  God.  The 
thought  is  blasphemy ;  but  when  once  the  clean  heart  is 
created  within  and  the  right  spirit  renewed,  then  there 
may  be  a  glad  dedication  of  our  every  power  to  the 
service  of  praise. 

Our  power  of  heart  and  mind,  our  love,  our  hope,  our 
faith,  our  imagination,  our  reasoning  faculties,  our  judg- 
ment, our  memory,  our  wit  and  humor,  are  all  to  be  ded- 
icated to  the  high  and  holy  office  of  a  life-long  praise  of 
God.  God  wants  our  all ;  greater  thought  even  than 
this,  God  can  use  our  all. 

In  that  perfect  temple  of  his  creation,  where  there  is 
room  for  the  sparrow  and  swallow — "  the  most  useless 
and  most  restless  of  birds  " — to  nest,  there  is  room  for 
each  faculty  of  our  being  to  expand — to  find  its  normal 
unfoldment  "  in  him  "  in  whom,  indeed,  "  we  live,  and 
move,  and  have  our  being." 

3.  Note  how  the  Psalmist  quickens  his  praise  through 
the  faculty  of  memory  :  "  Forget  not  all  his  benefits." 

In  verses  3-5  he  enumerates  what  some  of  those  ben- 
efits have  been.  Forgiveness,  healing,  redemption,  loving- 
kindness,  tender  mercies,  satis fiedness,  renewal  of  youth. 

"  Surely,"  you  say,  "  it  is  small  wonder  he  should  praise 
the  Lord." 

Ah !  but  notice  those  little  words,  *'  Forget  not." 
There  must  have  been  danger  of  forgetfulness,  else  this 


166  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

exhortation  would  not  have  been  given.  There  were 
hours  in  this  life,  as  in  our  own,  when  the  sunshine  was 
dimmed  by  the  shadow,  when  the  present  sorrow  threat- 
ened to  drive  away  all  thought  of  past  or  present  bless- 
ing. Perhaps  in  the  depths  of  just  such  an  hour,  like 
perfume  from  a  crushed  rose,  this  Psalm  was  wrung  from 
an  aching,  bleeding  heart.  "■  It  is  dark  now,  but  it  has 
been  light ;  it  will  be  light ;  there  is  sunshine  behind  the 
cloud.     Forget  not  all  his  benefits." 

Do  we,  in  our  dark  hours,  ever  pause  to  take  an  in- 
ventory of  our  blessings  }  We  shall  find  the  list  a  long 
one ;  and  if  we  practice  the  divine  rule  of  forgetting  sor- 
row and  remembering  joy,  our  lives  will  expand  in  per- 
petual praise. 

Ewald's  translation  of  verse  5  is  more  forcible  than  the 
Authorized  or  Revised  Versions.  "  Who  satisfies  thy 
spirit  with  good,  that  like  the  eagles  thy  youth  becomes 
new."  The  man  does  not  live  whom  things,  however 
good,  can  satisfy ;  and  if  a  "  mouth  "  satisfied  with 
"  good  things ' '  were  the  suininutn  bonum,  then  were  the 
Epicureans  the  true  philosophers.  But  a  "  spirit  satisfied 
with  good  " — such  a  one  has  found  indeed  the  secret  of 
perpetually  renewing  youth. 

4.  Note  how  the  perception  of  personal  blessings 
broadens  the  Psalmist's  mind  to  take  in  the  blessings  of 
others.  Hitherto  he  has  thought  only  of  God's  dealings 
with  himself;  now  his  soul's  eye  takes  a  larger  range. 

God  is  good  to  me  ;  yes,  but  that  is  not  all ;  that  is 
not  sufficient  reason   for  praise.     "  The  Lord  executeth 


A    SONG   OF  PRAISE.  167 

righteousness  and  judgment  for  all  that  are  oppressed." 
Not  good  to  me  only,  not  picking  me  out,  with  a  capri- 
cious fancy,  as  an  object  of  special  benefaction,  but  em- 
bracing me  in  that  universal  love  whose  tides  flow  eter- 
nally, whose  waves  kiss  in  blessing  the  parched  shores  of 
each  human  life. 

George  McDonald  makes  Robert  Falconer  cry  out  in 
boyish  indignation  at  his  grandmother's  teaching  of  the 
doctrine  of  election:  "  I  don't  want  God  to  love  me  if 
he  don't  love  every  body."  What  true  soul  could! 
Who  would  not  feel  that  he  had  lost  his  God  and  found 
instead  the  power  of  evil,  if  he  could  for  one  moment 
bring  himself  to  believe  that  there  was  a  being  in  the 
universe  whom  God  did  not  love  ?  Forever  and  forever 
must  the  soul  of  man  respond  in  glad  harmony  to  that 
eternal  chord,  "  God  so  loved  the  world." 

It  is  one  of  the  highest  proofs  of  our  sonship  to  the 
Eternal  that  we,  too,  in  our  weak  humanity,  are  "  not 
willing  that  any  should  perish." 

5.  Note  that  it  is  the  quality  of  God's  love  which 
causes  the  Psalmist  to  rejoice.  All  love  should  be  a 
thing  for  which  to  give  thanks.  Most  love  is.  And  yet 
there  are  human  loves  which  are  banes,  not  blessings  ; 
which  drag  down  rather  than  lift  up  both  the  lover  and 
the  loved.  It  is  not  enough  that  our  friends  love  us  ; 
how  do  they  love?  Wisely  or  foolishly?  selfishly  or  un- 
selfishly ?  helpfully  or  hurtfully  ?  It  is  not  enough — we 
say  it  reverently — that  God  should  love  humanity.  How 
does  he  love  it? 


168  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

The  heathen  have  had  conceptions  of  divine  powers 
capable  of  love  ;  but  the  objects  upon  which  their  love 
was  lavished  were  mere  pampered  favorites,  spoiled  chil- 
dren, made  weaker,  not  stronger,  by  the  love. 

How  does  Jehovah  love  ?  He  himself  answered  the 
question  centuries  later:  "God  so  loved  the  world,  that 
he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth 
in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 
The  Psalmist  answers  it  in  the  same  spirit  here :  "  The 
Lord  executeth  righteousness  and  judgment  for  all  that 
are  oppressed."  A  God  whose  love  is  manifested  in  an 
infinite  helpfulness — whose  helpfulness  is  the  essence  of 
righteousness  and  justice — this  is  the  God  we  adore. 

From  this  point  to  verse  19  the  whole  thought  of  the 
Psalmist  is  filled  with  God's  attributes.  He  has  gotten 
beyond  blessings  into  the  Blesser.  The  character  of  God 
—not  his  gifts — is  filling  his  soul  with  the  rapture  of  praise. 

The  force  of  comparison  is  well-nigh  exhausted  in 
showing  forth  the  goodness,  the  long-suffering,  the  tender 
compassion  of  God.  Whose  heart  has  not  been  thrilled 
by  the  thought  of  that  thirteenth  verse  :  "  Like  as  a  father 
pitieth  his  children,  so  the  Lord  pitieth  them  that  fear 
him."  We  know  of  but  one  other  comparison  which 
equals  it  in  tenderness,  and  that  is  Isa.  Ixvi,  13  :  "  As  one 
whom  his  mother  comforteth,  so  will  I  comfort  you." 

We  have  pushed  away  from  the  shore,  and  are  begin- 
ning to  know  something  of  the  surgings  of  the  infinite 
ocean  of  divine  love,  when  the  thought  of  what  God  is 
is  more  to  us  than  any  thought  of  what  he  does ;  when 


A   SONG   OF  PRAISE.  169 

the  thought  of  his  righteousness  is  dearer  to  us  than  any- 
personal  blessing ;  when  we  stay  our  tired  souls,  not  on 
any  manifestation  of  his  favor,  but  on  the  eternal  verity 
that  God  is  good.  What  though  "  man's  days  are  as 
grass."  "  The  mercy  of  the  Lord  is  from  everlasting  to 
everlasting."     "  They  shall  perish  ;  but  thou  remainest." 

O,  there  must  come  hours  in  each  true  life  when  the 
fact  that  God  is,  that  he  is  a  God  of  righteousness  and 
holiness,  is  enough  to  satisfy,  though  every  gift  and 
every  blessing  and  every  outward  manifestation  of  his 
love  were  swept  from  the  individual  experience  forever. 

6.  Note  the  Psalmist's  conception  of  what  it  is  to 
praise  God.  We  find  it  expressed  in  the  three  last  verses 
of  this  Psalm. 

"  Bless  the  Lord,  ye  his  angels,  .  .  .  i/iat  do  his  com- 
mandments, hearkening  unto  the  voice  of  his  ivord.  Bless 
ye  the  Lord,  all  ye  his  hosts ;  ye  ministers  of  his,  that  do 
his  pleasure y 

Surely  this  conception  of  praise  is  a  something  other 
and  deeper  than  a  mere  verbal  outpouring  of  thanksgiv- 
ing. How  are  we  to  praise  God  ?  Even  as  the  angels  do. 
Our  Master  taught  us  to  pray,  "  Thy  will  be  done,  in  earth 
as  it  is  in  heaven."  This  Psalm  teaches  us  that  God's  will 
is  done  in  heaven  through  the  angelic  host  "  Keeping  his 
commandments,  hearkening  unto  the  voice  of  his  word." 

A  praise  which  is  obedience,  an  obedience  which  seeks 
continually  to  know  that  wherein  it  may  further  obey, 
this  is  the  divine  ideal  of  praise.  It  is  well  to  speak 
God's  praises ;  it  is  better  to  live  them.     The  speaking 


170  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

may  help  the  living ;  it  may  hinder.  There  is  danger 
that  the  soul's  vital  force,  which  should  be  expended  in 
deeds,  may  explode  in  hallelujahs.  If  the  hallelujahs 
help  the  deeds,  let  them  come  ;  if  they  constitute,  in  any 
sense,  an  end,  and  not  the  means  toward  that  end,  let 
them  be  suppressed.  "  Why  call  ye  me  Lord,  Lord,  and 
do  not  the  things  which  I  say?" 

Surely,  if  "  he  prayeth  best  who  loveth'best,"  he  prais- 
eth  best  who  best  obeys.  And  what  are  his  command- 
ments ?  The  Master  epitomizes  them  all.  "Anew 
commandment  I  give  unto  you,  that  ye  love  one  another, 
as  I  have  loved  you."  Did  you  ever  think  that  the  very 
highest  teaching  Christ  has  for  us  concerns  our  relations 
to  our  fellow-men?  The  incarnation  means  just  that; 
it  was  an  object-lesson  through  which  man  might  learn 
how  to  live  with  his  brother-man.  John  caught  its  root- 
meaning  when  he  cried,  "  Hereby  perceive  we  the  love 
of  God,  because  he  laid  down  his  life  for  us:  and  we 
ought  to  lay  down  our  lives  for  the  brethren."  "  As  the 
Father  hath  sent  me  into  the  world,  even  so  have  I  also 
sent  them  into  the  world." 

"  For  all  behind  the  starry  sky, 

Behind  the  world  so  broad. 
Behind  men's  hearts  and  souls  doth  lie 

The  Infinite  of  God. 

"  If  true  to  men,  though  troubled  sore, 

I  cannot  choose  but  be, 
Thou,  who  art  peace  for  evermore. 

Art  very  true  to  me." 

Katharine  Lente  Stevenson. 


DANIEL   AND   HIS  COMPANIONS.  171 


VIII. 

DANIEL  AND  HIS  COMPANIONS. 

Dan.  i,  8-21. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— Daniel  purposed  in  hiis  heart  that  he  would  not 
defile  himself  with  the  portion  of  the  king's  meat,  nor  with 
the  wine  which  he  drank.     Dan.  i,  8. 

For  breadth  of  character,  Moses;  for  loftiness,  Daniel. 
Men  are  broad  for  what  they  do ;  lofty,  for  what  they 
are.  Moses  planned  and  carried  out  great  things. 
Daniel's  character  stands  like  a  great  mountain  in  a  vast 
plain.  How  shall  we  encompass  it,  how  scale  its  height  ? 
We  can  do  neither.  We  can  only  look  at  him  and  feel 
the  power  of  his  grandeur.  Let  us  view  him  in  the  light 
of  his  temptation,  his  resistance,  and  his  reward. 

I.  Temptation.  Can  it  be  that  these  young  men, 
well-named,  well-trained,  and  of  lofty  character,  were 
tempted  ?  tempted  just  like  other  young  men — young 
men  of  our  day,  surrounded  with  palace  saloons,  halls  of 
enchantment,  temptations  of  a  fast  age,  social,  mercan- 
tile, political  ?  O  tempter,  thy  name  is  legion.  In  the 
guise  of  kings  and  courts  dost  thou  come.  The  young 
are  thy  choice  victims  ;  the  comely,  the  courtly,  the 
witty,  thy  booty.  The  innocent  fall  by  thy  craft,  and 
the  pure  dost  thou  defile.  "  Death  loves  a  shining 
mark;"  much  more  dost  thou  pant  for  the  blood  of  the 


172  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

priceless  fair.  Thy  hot  breath  is  upon  every  land  to 
wither  and  blast ;  thy  presence  in  every  home  to  rend. 

Young  princes  of  chosen  and  illustrious  ancestry, 
"  children  in  whom  was  no  blemish,  but  well-favored,  and 
skillful  in  all  wisdom,  and  cunning  in  knowledge,  and 
understanding  science,  and  such  as  had  ability  in  them 
to  stand  in  the  king's  palace,  and  whom  they  might  teach 
the  learning  and  the  tongue  of  the  Chaldeans  " — what 
could  more  whet  the  appetite  of  the  all-devouring 
tempter  ?  What  wonder  that  far-reaching  strategy,  the 
finest  of  tactics,  and  a  diversity  of  forces  were  employed 
to  make  sure  the  seizure. 

Did  you  ever  know  temptation  to  come  openly  and 
direct  ?  Ah,  what  skulking,  what  hiding  under  "  reason- 
able claims."  Now  in  the  cloak  of  authority,  now  in  the 
guise  of  friendship,  now  drawing  into  ambush  by  some 
fancied  personal  good.  Even  in  that  subtle  charm  of 
"  holy  charity  "  does  he  too  frequently  glove  his  hide- 
ous hand. 

Human  nature  is  somewhat  combative,  and  usually 
resists  open  attack.  When  one  expects  an  assault  upon 
his  integrity,  his  sense  of  self-defense  at  once  thwarts  the 
enemy.  Satan  has  no  pleasure  in  religious  watch-tow- 
ers. He  wastes  not  his  strength  on  strongholds.  He 
contends  not  Avith  resisting  spirits.  He  fills  the  mind 
with  the  glamour  of  royalty,  the  phantasy  of  good-fel- 
lowship, the  spirit  of  chivalry.  He  leads  his  victim  on  ; 
he  does  not  drive.  If  Daniel  was  to  be  overthrown,  it 
must  be  by  subtle  methods,  and  what  were  some  of  these? 


DANIEL   AND  HIS  COMPANIONS.  173 

(i)  Royal  Authority.  "And  the  king  appointed  them 
a  daily  provision."  Now,  one  of  the  things  that  Daniel 
had  early  learned,  and  learned  well,  was  reverence  for 
and  obedience  to  constituted  authority.  Himself  a 
prince,  he  knew  and  appreciated  the  majesty  of  the  law. 
He  respected  the  kingly  office,  recognizing  the  divine 
right  of  kings.  See  with  what  appreciation  he  addressed 
the  King  of  Babylon  :  "  Thou,  O  king,  art  a  king  of  kings : 
for  the  God  of  heaven  hath  given  thee  a  kingdom,  power, 
and  strength,  and  glory  "  (chap,  ii,  37.) 

Daniel  was  a  captive  under  subjection.  He  had  not 
the  rights  of  the  lowest  subject  of  the  realm.  It  were 
enough  for  which  to  be  devoutly  thankful  should  he  by 
readiest  obedience  save  his  head.  But  Daniel  with  all 
his  appreciation  of  authority,  and  with  full  recognition 
of  his  critical  condition,  **  purposed  in  his  heart  that  he 
would  not  defile  himself." 

When  viewing  the  character  of  Daniel  we  are  not  to 
forget  the  virtues  of  the  three  faithful  companions. 
They  shared  in  the  temptations  with  which  our  lesson 
deals,  united  with  Daniel  in  prayer  to  the  "  God  of 
heaven,"  and  were  saved  by  miracle,  as  was  he — they 
from  the  fiery  furnace,  he  from  the  lions'  den. 

(2)  By  Appeal  to  the  Natural  Appetite.  "  And  the  king 
appointed  them  a  daily  provision  of  the  king's  meat, 
and  of  the  wine  which  he  drank."  Meat  and  wine — 
very  common  temptations.  Although  wine  had  caused 
Noah's  disgrace,  and  was  at  the  root  of  Canaan's  curse, 
and  had  caused  the  loss  of  Ben-hadad's  army,  since  he 


174  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

"  was  drinking  himself  drunk  in  the  pavilions,  he  and  the 
kings,  the  thirty  and  two  kings  that  helped  him  "  (i  Kings 
XX,  1 6),  and  its  use  was  strongly  denounced  by  Solomon 
and  the  prophets,  it  had  not  at  that  time  become  the 
cause  of  so  much  sin,  crime,  and  sorrow  as  it  is  charged 
with  at  the  present  time.  But  "Daniel  purposed  in  his 
heart  that  he  would  not  defile  himself  with  the  portion 
of  the  king's  meat,  nor  with  the  wine  which  he  drank." 
By  subsisting  upon  the  king's  viands,  Daniel  would 
have  I.)  compromised  his  faith  in  the  true  God.  "To 
have  partaken  of  such  a  feast  would  have  been  to  sanc- 
tion idolatry." — jfamieson,  Faussett,  and  Brown.  Much  of 
it  was  no  doubt  the  flesh  of  animals  offered  in  idol-wor- 
ship. "They  sacrificed  unto  devils,  not  to  God;  to  gods 
whom  they  knew  not.  .  .  .  Their  wine  is  the  poison 
of  dragons,  and  the  cruel  venom  of  asps"  (Deut.  xxxii, 

17.  33)- 

2.)  There  was  danger  that  the  use  of  the  king's  meat 

and  wine  would  lead  to  voluptuousness.  The  free  use  of 
such  viands  does  not  foster  the  instincts  of  manliness 
and  scholarship.  "  When  thou  sittest  to  eat  with  a 
ruler,  consider  diligently  what  is  before  thee :  and  put  a 
knife  to  thy  throat,  if  thou  be  a  man  given  to  appetite. 
Be  not  desirous  of  his  dainties :  for  they  are  deceitful 
meat  "  (Prov.  xxiii,  1-3).  "  Let  me  not  eat  of  their  dain- 
ties "  (Psa.  cxli,  4). 

3.)  Daniel  may  have  felt  called  to  the  exercise  of  the 
priestly  office.  "  Not  all  priests  were  descendants  of 
Aaron." — ScJiaff-Hersog.     The  priests  were  prohibited 


DANIEL  AND  HIS  COMPANIONS.  175 

from  using  wine  while  on  duty.  The  best  way  to  keep 
free  from  the  use  of  strong  drink  when  on  duty  is  to  ab- 
stain from  its  use  when  off  duty.  It  is  evident  that 
Daniel  desired  all  the  advantages  favorable  to  successful 
study  which  the  habits  of  the  priests  could  give  ;  for  if 
any  knew  the  arts  of  scholarly  attainments  it  was  the 
priesthood.  It  is  accepted  now  by  the  best  authorities 
that  total  abstinence  is  best  for  all  men  in  all  pursuits. 

(3)  Appeal  to  Pride.  Dazzling  prospects  !  "  To  stand 
in  the  king's  palace;"  to  study  "the  learning  and 
tongue  of  the  Chaldeans  ;"  to  live  in  "  great  Babylon  !  " 
What  opportunities !  It  is  said  that  every  man  will 
break  down  if  touched  at  his  passion-point.  Now,  these 
youths  had  a  passion  for  learning.  With  such  passion 
and  such  temptation,  who  could  be  expected  to  resist  ? 
Acquiescence  would  unlock  all  the  archives  and  unfold 
all  the  mysteries  of  the  great  Bel-worship. 

(4)  Flattery.  Not  only  honored  by  selection  to  high 
privileges,  but  new  names  were  given  Daniel  and  his 
companions— =-distinguished  names:  Belteshazzar — Bel's 
prince,  that  is,  a  prince  whom  Bel  favors ;  Shadrach — 
little  friend  of  the  king,  or  rejoicing  in  the  way  ;  Meshach 
— guest  of  the  king  ;  Abed-nego — worshiper  of  Mercury, 
or  interpreter  of  the  gods.  (See  Gesetiius,  Hebrew  Lex- 
icon?) These  names  would  at  once  bring  them  into 
fellowship  with  the  young  princes  of  Babylon,  and  make 
them  peers,  if  not  superiors,  to  them  all.  Thus  idolatry 
would  be  seen  at  its  best.  It  would  not  appear  the 
abominable  thing  they  had  been  taught  to  regard  it. 


176  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

(5)  Social  Influence.  The  long  dining-room  is  thrown 
open.  The  savor  of  the  king's  meat  fills  the  air.  The 
wine,  the  ruddy  wine,  sparkles  in  the  blazing  light.  Come 
Belteshazzar!  Come  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego! 
All  things  are  now  ready.  The  king  looks  for  you  at  his 
right  hand.  The  Babylonian  princes  and  magi  enter. 
All  places  are  filled.  No  ;  four  seats  are  vacant.  Daniel, 
Hananiah,  Mishael,  and  Azariah  are  not  present.  Why 
not  ?  Why  so  eccentric  ?  Why  be  the  laughing-stock 
of  the  court  ?  All  the  other  young  men  are  there — 
young  men  who  also  are  "  to  stand  in  the  king's  palace." 
Does  not  the  king  know,  and  his  butler,  what  is  best  for 
the  young  magi  ?  Have  they  not  brought  up  and  edu- 
cated young  men  for  these  positions  before?  "  But  Dan- 
iel purposed  in  his  heart  that  he  would  not  defile  him- 
self with  the  portion  of  the  king's  meat,  nor  with  the 
wine  which  he  drank." 

(6)  Fric7idship — /;/  its  Utmost  Pica.  Yet  another  entrance 
to  the  heart  of  Daniel  does  the  tempter  seek.  It  is  now 
upon  a  higher  basis.  Daniel  had  been  taught  to  beware 
of  glamour,  appetite,  pride,  flattery,  and  society.  But 
friendship  was  a  noble  virtue.  Who  could  withstand  its 
plea  ?  A  benefactor,  a  warm  personal  friend,  an  ardent 
admirer,  one  who  loved  Daniel,  pleads  the  jeopardy  of 
his  life.  "  Now  God  had  brought  Daniel  into  favor  and 
tender  love  with  the  prince  of  the  eunuchs.  And  the 
prince  of  the  eunuchs  said  unto  Daniel,  I  fear  my  lord 
the  king,  who  hath  appointed  your  meat  and  your  drink: 
for  why  should  he  see  your  faces  worse  liking  than  the 


DANIEL  AND  HIS  COMPANIONS.  177 

children  which  are  of  your  sort  ?  then  shall  ye  make  me 
endanger  my  head  to  the  king." 

"  Ah,  now  I  have  him,  I  have  him,"  cries  the  old 
tempter;  "  I  have  at  last  laid  my  hand  upon  his  heart." 
But  "  prove  thy  servants,"  says  Daniel  to  Melzar ;  "  prove 
thy  servants  .  .  .  ten  days,  and  let  them  give  us  pulse  to 
eat,  and  water  to  drink."  So  Melzar  "  consented  to  them 
in  this  matter,  and  proved  them  ten  days.  And  at  the  end 
of  ten  days  their  countenances  appeared  fairer  and  fatter 
in  flesh  than  all  the  children  which  did  eat  the  portion 
of  the  king's  meat."  The  young  prince  of  God  has  had 
his  way.  Hereafter  he  may  be  called  Belteshazzar  at  the 
court  of  Babylon,  but  at  the  mercy-seat  it  shall  be  Daniel. 

2.  Resistance.  We  hear  of  the  "  man  of  destiny," 
but  here  is  the  man  of  purpose.  But  purpose,  to  be  of 
any  avail,  must  be  backed  by  something  substantial. 
Many  a  man  has  purposed  well,  but  has  found  himself 
overcome  by  outward  forces.  Daniel  with  good  purposes 
is  well-supported  in  many  ways. 

(i)  Both  He  and  His  Friends  have  Good  Names  :  Daniel 
— God's  judge ;  that  is,  one  appointed  to  deliver  judgment 
in  the  name  of  the  true  God  ;  Hananiah — the  gift  of  Je- 
hovah ;  Mishael — he  is  what  the  Almighty  is  ;  Azariah — 
whom  Jehovah  helps. — Gesenius.  May  there  not  be 
something  in  names  ?  If  so,  these  young  men  had  a  good 
start  in  life. 

(2)  Good  Instruction  in  Early  Life.  These  young  men 
were    already   "  skillful   in   all  wisdom,  and    cunning  in 

knowledge,  and  understanding  science." 

8* 


178  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

(3)  A  Definite  and  Lofty  Aim  in  Life.  Daniel  looked 
beyond  the  day  and  hour.  He  sought  more  than  mere 
existence  and  comfortable  living.  He  saw  the  far-reach- 
ing purposes  of  God  in  his  own  creation.  He  grasped 
the  lofty  privileges  of  life.  There  was  no  wisdom  or 
knowledge  attainable  by  him  that  he  did  not  covet,  feel- 
ing assured  that  in  time  all  would  be  serviceable  to  him. 
So  he  studied  ever  with  an  aim. 

(4)  Pre-occupation.  Daniel  did  not  seem  to  think  him- 
self in  this  world  to  receive  and  be  served,  but,  on  the 
other  hand,  to  fulfill  the  mission  for  which  he  was  created  : 
not  to  be  enchanted  with  the  world's  show,  but  to  charm 
others  with  truth  and  righteousness  ;  to  give  heed  to 
those  things  which  best  fit  for  life's  duties ;  to  pass  by 
the  things  that  would  in  any  way  hinder  his  highest  use- 
fulness. 

O  young  friend,  fill  up  to  the  full  the  measure  of  your 
being  with  holy  thoughts  and  holy  deeds.  When  the 
eolian  harp  is  placed  in  your  window,  when  the  siren 
song  is  sung,  have  your  ears  filled  with  other  melodies. 
There  is  for  the  lover  of  men  enchantment  in  the  wail  of 
a  broken  heart,  melody  in  the  voice  of  weeping.  Be  so 
busy  in  binding  up  the  wounds  of  your  sin-bruised  fellow- 
men  that  you  will  not  perceive  the  pageantry  of  royalty 
as  it  marches  by.  Say  you  that  the  shadows  on  such  a 
picture  are  too  deep  ?  Remember  Gcthsemane  !  remem- 
ber Calvary!  Only  in  your  efforts  to  save  others  is  your 
own  present  safety  and  your  final  salvation  assured. 

(5)  Good  Companions.      A  blessed  thing  it  is  for  the 


DANIEL  AND  HIS  COMPANIONS.  179 

young  to  have  good  companions.  "  Blessed  is  the  man 
who  walketh  not  in  the  counsel  of  the  ungodly,  and 
standeth  not  in  the  way  of  sinners,  and  sitteth  not  in  the 
company  of  scorners,  but  his  delight  is  in  the  law  of 
Jehovah,  and  in  his  law  doth  he  meditate  day  and  night. 
.  .  .  And  he  is  like  a  tree  planted  by  the  water-courses, 
which  bringeth  forth  its  fruit  in  its  season,  and  its  leaf 
withereth  not,  and  whatsoever  he  doeth  he  carrieth 
through." — DelitzscJis  Translation  of  the  First  Psalm. 
"  O  the  blessedness  of  the  man,  etc." — Spiirgeon. 

3.  The  Reward.  Did  ever  so  lofty  a  life  as  Dan- 
iel's fail  of  a  reward  ?  Not  where  God  reigns.  Space 
forbids  that  we  should  elaborate.  Read  carefully  the 
entire  Book  of  Daniel  at  one  sitting,  and  mark  the  favors 
heaped  upon  this  noble  prophet. 

(i)  Favor.  "  God  brought  Daniel  into  favor  and  tender 
love  with  the  prince  of  the  eunuchs  "  (chap,  i,  9). 

(2)  Health.  "  At  the  end  of  ten  days  their  countenances 
appeared  fairer  and  fatter  in  flesh  than  all  the  children 
which  did  eat  the  portion  of  the  king's  meat"  (ver.  15). 

(3)  hitcllectuality  and  Scholarship.  "  And  in  all  mat- 
ters of  wisdom  and  understanding,  that  the  king  inquired 
of  them,  he  found  them  ten  times  better  than  all  the 
magicians  and  astrologers  that  were  in  all  his  realm " 
(ver.  20). 

(4)  Ability  to  Render  Great  Service  to  the  King.  He  not 
only  interpreted  the  king's  dream,  but  made  known  unto 
the  king  the  dream  which  he  himself  had  forgotten. 
(Read  chap.  3.) 


180  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

(5)  Daniel  saved  the  lives  of  the  wise  men,  including 
his  three  friends  and  himself,  the  decree  having  gone 
forth  that  they  should  be  slain.  He  said  :  "  Destroy  not 
the  wise  men  of  Babylon :  bring  me  in  before  the  king, 
and  I  will  show  unto  the  king  the  interpretation  "  (ver. 
24). 

(6)  Daniel  and  his  three  companions  were  appointed 
to  high  positions  in  the  kingdom  of  Babylon  (ver,  49). 

(7)  Daniel's  three  companions  were  saved  from  the 
"  burning  fiery  furnace."     (Read  chap.  3.) 

(8)  Growth  in  Character.  Virtue  well  practiced  is  self- 
developing.  "  Daniel  purposed  in  his  heart  that  he  would 
not  defile  himself."  It  took  courage  to  carry  this  pur- 
pose into  effect.  This  was  the  test  of  the  youth's  cour- 
age. Later  on  Daniel  was  able  to  exercise  the  courage 
of  a  man.  When  he  tells  the  king  the  facts  and  exhorts 
to  repentance  it  was  not  boy's  play.  "They  shall  drive 
thee  from  men,"  etc.  (chap,  iv,  25).  "  Wherefore,  O  king, 
.  .  .  break  off  thy  sins  "  (ver.  27). 

(9)  Given  ability  to  read  hand-writing  upon  the  wall. 

(10)  Daniel  is  made  chief  of  the  presidents. 

(11)  Daniel  is  delivered  from  lions'  den. 

(12)  He  is  enabled  to  render  great  service  to  the  king- 
dom of  the  true  God  by  holding  up  the  true  light 
through  a  long  period  in  an  idolatrous  land. 

(13)  Through  him  is  revealed  the  time  of  Christ's  in- 
carnation (chap,  ix,  20-27). 

(14)  He  was  permitted  to  see  the  restoration  of  his  peo- 
ple.    (See  Comprehensive  Commentary  on  Dan.  i,  21.) 


DANIEL  AND  HIS  COMPANIONS.  181 

(15)  Was  granted  a  long  life. 

'•  Seest  thou  a  man  diligent  in  his  business  ?  He  shall 
stand  before  kings  "  (Prov.  xxii,  29). 

"  Her  Nazarites  were  purer  than  snow,  they  were 
whiter  than  milk,  they  were  more  ruddy  in  body  than 
rubies,  their  polishing  was  of  sapphire  "  (Lam.  iv,  7). 

M.  D.  HORNBECK. 


182  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 


IX. 
NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S  DREAM. 

Dan,  ii,  36-49. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— All  things  are  naked  and  opened  unto  the  eyes 
of  hiirx  with  whom  we  have  to  do.     Heb.  iv,  13. 

Is  thi.s  true  or  false?  Does  God  know  all  things  that 
each  one  of  us  does  and  says  ?  Does  he  see  the  crime,  the 
deceit,  the  cruelties  practiced  by  men  ?  Does  he  know 
how  intemperance  curses  our  land,  destroys  human 
souls,  padlocks  the  lips  of  some  of  his  preachers  in  the 
sacred  desk,  and  hinders  the  progress  of  Christ's  cause  on 
this  earth  ?  Does  he  know  every  trial,  temptation,  want 
of  his  children  ?  Does  he  see  us  when  we  pray,  when  we 
do  right,  and  when  we  sin  ?  We  often  feel  that  he 
knows  the  great  crisis-hours  in  individual  experiences 
and  in  national  history.  Does  he  see  the  little  every- 
day occurrences  which  make  up  so  much  of  our  daily 
experiences  and  yet  which  we  would  hardly  think  impor- 
tant enough  to  tell  our  most  intimate  friend?  He  saw 
me  when  with  terrible  heart-hunger  I  laid  in  the  cold 
ground  my  darling  child.  He  hears  the  bitter  cry,  "  I 
want  her  !  "  sees  the  burning  tears  which  no  human  eyes 
must  see.  Did  he  see  me  when  I  met  my  unsaved 
friend  ?  Did  he  know  that  my  friend  was  wishing  I  would 
help  him  find  the  better  life  ?     Did  God  hear  my  careless 


NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S  DREAM.  183 

jest  of  yesterday?  Christ  has  said  that  not  a  sparrow 
falleth  to  the  ground  without  his  notice.  Is  there  noth- 
ing too  minute  to  escape  his  knowledge  or  too  myste- 
rious to  be  understood  by  him  ?  Is  it  true  that  "  all  things 
are  naked  and  opened  unto  the  eyes  of  him  with  whom 
we  have  to  do  ?  "  This  the  lesson  of  to-day  affirms  and 
illustrates,  while  the  religious  condition  of  the  human 
family  in  every  land  reiterates  its  truth. 

Nebuchadnezzar  in  the  second  year  of  his  sole  reign 
as  King  of  Babylon,  about  603  B.  C,  had  a  dream  which 
filled  him  with  fearful  apprehensions. 

When  he  awoke  he  could  not  recall  its  particulars, 
although  retaining  its  general  impressions,  and  com- 
manded his  "  wise  men  "  to  reveal  to  him  his  dream  and 
its  interpretation,  on  the  penalty  of  death  if  they  failed. 

These  "  wise  men  "  were  distinguished  for  their  knowl- 
edge of  literature,  philosophy,  science,  or  priestcraft.  The 
leaders  of  these  different  classes  of  learned  men  could 
not  obey  the  king's  command,  and  their  immediate  exe- 
cution, with  that  of  their  associates,  was  ordered,  when 
Daniel,  whose  three  years  of  training  had  been  but  a 
few  weeks  ended,  and  who  was  now  considered  as  one  of 
these  "wise  men,"  secured  a  delay  of  the  execution  until 
w^ith  his  companions  he  could  ask  and  receive  from  Je- 
hovah the  information  which  the  king  desired. 

That  night  the  dream  and  its  meaning  were  revealed 
by  God  to  Daniel,  who,  after  declaring  to  Nebuchad- 
nezzar that  his  knowledge  was  not  due  to  his  own  wis- 
dom, but  to  the  favor  of  Jehovah,  said  that  the  king  saw 


18 Jf  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

in  his  dream  a  great  image,  whose  head  was  fine  gold, 
breast  and  arms  were  silver,  belly  and  thighs  were  brass, 
legs  were  iron,  and  feet  partly  iron  and  partly  clay.  The 
king  also  saw  a  stone  strike  the  image,  which  fell  Into 
minute  fragments  which  the  wind  blew  away,  and  the 
stone  grew  until  it  filled  the  whole  earth. 

"  This  is  the  dream,"  said  Daniel.  He  speaks  with  per- 
fect confidence,  although  well  aware  that  a  failure  to  repro- 
duce the  exact  dream  meant  his  own  death,  together  with 
that  of  all  the  other  "  wise  men  "  in  Babylon.  He  knew 
that  he  could  not  be  mistaken  because  "  all  things  are 
naked  and  opened  unto  the  eyes  of  him  "  who  had  revealed 
to  him  the  secret  thoughts  of  Nebuchadnezzar  in  the 
night  watches.  Daniel  knew  also  that  the  truth  had 
come  to  him  in  answer  to  his  prayer,  and  that  it  was  a 
proof  of  the  divine  favor  toward  him.  This  furnished  him 
with  the  requisite  courage  to  interpret  the  dream.  Men 
are  strong  in  proportion  to  their  consciousness  of  the 
truth  of  their  message  and  of  a  divine  authority  given 
them  in  its  promulgation.  "  We  " — God  the  revealer  and 
I  his  messenger — "  will  tell  the  interpretation  thereof  be- 
fore the  king."  Those  religious  teachers  among  the 
ministry  or  laity,  whatever  their  literary  attainments  or 
abilities,  are  miserable  weaklings,  who  are  not  sure  that 
their  instructions  are,  "  Thus  salth  the  Lord."  Daniel 
felt  that  he  was  uttering  God's  truth  with  God's  help, 
and  feared  not  to  declare  the  whole  counsel  of  God. 
Ministers  who  do  likewise  to-day,  whatever  their  fields 
of  labor,  achieve  abundant  success.     The  cause  of  Christ 


NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S  DREAM.  185 

needs  such  men — the  world  hungers  to  hear  them. 
"  Thou,  O  king,  art  a  king  of  kings."  A  general  title  of 
Oriental  sovereigns  and  an  absolute  truth. 

Nebuchadnezzar's  dominion  included  Egypt  and  the 
whole  civilized  world  of  Asia.  It  was  in  an  important 
sense  a  great  "  world-kingdom,"  "  the  prototype  and  pat- 
tern, the  beginning  and  the  primary  representative,  of 
all  world-powers." 

Daniel  recognizes  the  lawful  authority  of  his  king  and 
bows  in  submission  to  it,  not  with  a  fawning  sycophancy, 
but  as  a  manly  man,  as  later  Christ  commanded  (Matt. 
xxii,  2i)  and  Paul  enjoined  (Rom.  xiii,  i).  He  does 
not  forget  his  position  as  a  subject  while  he  speaks  the 
message  of  the  great  king's  King.  Nebuchadnezzar  is 
not  an  irresponsible  ruler.  He  received  his  kingdom  as 
a  gift  from  Jehovah,  and  is  accountable  to  him.  "  The 
God  of  heaven  hath  given  thee  a  kingdom,  power, 
strength,  and  glory."  In  thy  administration  of  its  affairs 
he  is  weighing  thee,  watching  all  thy  ways,  learning 
whether  his  authority  is  recognized.  Later,  when  Nebu- 
chadnezzar ignored  this  truth,  he  was  sent  to  feed 
with  beasts  in  the  field  until  he  realized  "  that  the  Most 
High  ruleth  in  the  kingdom  of  men,  and  giveth  it  to 
whomsoever  he  will,"  while  men  to-day  may  be  equally 
and  as  signally  humiliated  and  punished  who  ignore  the 
truth  that  every  good  and  perfect  gift  in  their  lives 
comes  from  God,  who,  knowing  all  their  deeds,  will  hold 
them  to  a  strict  account  of  their  stewardship.  God  does 
not  balance  his  books  at  each  nightfall.     He  is  "  merci- 


186  BOSTON  HO  MI  LIES. 

ful  and  gracious,  long-suffering,  and  abundant  in  goodness 
and  truth,  keeping  mercy  for  thousands,  forgiving  in- 
iquity and  transgression  and  sin,  and  will  by  no  means 
clear  the  guilty."  In  the  equity  of  the  divine  adminis- 
tration, since  "  all  things  are  naked  and  opened  unto  him 
with  whom  we  have  to  do,"  sooner  or  later  men  and  na- 
tions are  judged  according  to  their  deeds. 

"  Thou  art  this  head  of  gold."  Eastern  courtesy  de- 
manded that  Daniel  should  thus  speak  in  the  presence 
of  the  king  and  his  court.  Nebuchadnezzar  might  be 
used  as  a  representative  of  his  kingdom  since  he  had  con- 
quered Judea,  Syria,  Phenicia,  and  Egypt  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Babylonian  Empire.  "  And  after  thee 
shall  arise  another  kingdom  inferior  to  thee,"  etc. 

In  the  righteous  administration  of  God  as  ruler  of  na- 
tions, and  because  of  its  iniquity,  the  Babylonian  world- 
power  was  supplanted  by  the  Medo-Persian,  which  fell 
before  the  Macedonian  under  the  great  Alexander,  and, 
in  turn,  the  kingdom  of  the  Seleucidze  in  Syria  and 
the  kingdom  of  the  Lagidae  in  Egypt  supplanted  the 
Macedonian  and  were  finally  merged  into  the  Roman 
world-power.  These  three  world-powers,  each  in  turn 
supplanting  the  preceding,  were  represented  in  the 
dream  of  Nebuchadnezzar  by  silver,  brass,  and  iron, 
the  latter  at  last  mixed  with  clay,  because  each  was  in- 
ferior to  the  preceding,  not  in  external  power,  but  in 
morality,  manifested  particularly  in  their  persecution  of 
the  peculiar  people  of  God.  "  In  the  days  of  these 
kings  shall  the  God  of  heaven  set  up  a  kingdom."  While 


NEBUCHADNEZZAR' S  DREAM.  187 

the  Seleucidae,  Lagidae,  and  the  other  Diadochi  were 
still  reigning — that  is,  during  the  fourth  world-power — 
the  fifth,  the  Messianic  kingdom,  would  be  established. 
Or,  inasmuch  as  in  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream  the  image 
of  gold,  silver,  brass,  iron,  and  clay,  representing  the  four 
great  world-powers,  was  intact  until  struck  by  the  stone, 
and  each  of  these  powers  was  characterized  by  an  over- 
throw because  of  the  same  spirit  of  worldly  hostility  to 
God,  in  the  midst  of  this  impiety  the  kingdom  of  God 
would  be  established  on  earth  (Isa.  Ix,  2).    Both  are  true. 

It  was  this  spirit  which  animated  the  Baal-worshipers, 
wrought  confusion  in  Israel,  culminated  in  the  loss  of 
the  ten  tribes,  and  in  the  Babylonian  captivity.  It  con- 
stitutes the  essence  of  nature-worship  to-day,  and  enters 
more  or  less  fully  into  every  modern  form  of  unbelief. 
"  Which  shall  never  be  destroyed  .  .  .  shall  not  be  left 
to  other  people,  but  it  shall  break  in  pieces  and  consume 
all  these  kingdoms,  and  it  shall  stand  forever." 

The  Messianic  kingdom  will  never  be  supplanted  by 
another  world-power ;  it  will  overcome  the  worldly  op- 
position of  men  to  the  spiritual  reign  of  God,  will  uni- 
versally triumph  on  earth,  and  endure  forever. 

"  This  kingdom  cometh  not  by  observation "  (Luke 
xvii,  20),  but  its  effects  are  seen.  "  The  stone  was  cut 
out  of  the  mountain  without  hands,  and  .  .  .  brake  in 
pieces  the  iron,  the  brass,  the  clay,  the  silver,  and  the 
gold."  The  manner  of  the  growth  of  the  stone,  until  it 
"  became  a  great  mountain  and  filled  the  whole  earth," 
as  the  symbol  of  the  Messianic  kingdom  is  not  revealed. 


188  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

History  shows  that  it  moves  forward  with  accelerating 
power,  though  subject  to  retarding  influences.  Sharon 
Turner,  whom  no  one  would  charge  with  falsifying  facts, 
gives  the  approximate  number  of  nominal  Christians  as, 
first  century,  500,000;  second,  2,000,000;  third,  5,000,- 
000;  fourth,  10,000,000;  fifth,  15,000,000;  sixth,  20,000,- 
000  ;  seventh,  24,000,000  ;  eighth,  30,000,000  ;  ninth, 
40,000,000 ;  tenth,  50,000,000 ;  eleventh,  70,000,000 ; 
twelfth,  80,000,000;  thirteenth,  75,000,000;  fourteenth, 
80,000,000;  fifteenth,  100,000,000;  sixteenth,  125,000,- 
000;  seventeenth,  155,000,000;  eighteenth,  200,000,000 ; 
and  to-day  they  are  reckoned  as  479,000,000,  and  are  in- 
creasing more  rapidly  than  ever  before.  It  is  estimated 
that  the  number  of  conversions  during  the  fifty  years 
ending  in  1850  was  greater  than  during  the  first  six- 
teen centuries ;  that  the  number  during  the  twenty 
years  ending  in  1870  was  greater  than  during  the  fifty 
years  before;  that  the  number  converted  between  1870 
and  1880  was  greater  than  between  1850  and  1870;  and 
that  the  conversions  during  the  year  1890  were  fifty  per 
cent,  greater  than  the  number  of  nominal  Christians 
during  the  first  century  of  the  Christian  era.  This,  to- 
gether with  the  rapid  increase  of  the  various  and  power- 
ful agencies  which  are  utilized  by  the  Christian  Church 
for  the  triumph  of  the  cause  of  Christ,  points  to  the  time 
when  the  stone  shall  become  a  mountain  and  fill  the 
whole  earth. 

"  Forasmuch  as  thou  savv^est  .  .  .  the  great  God  hath 
made  known  to  the  king  what  shall  come  to  pass  here- 


NEBUCHADNEZZAR: S  DREAM.  189 

after:  and  the  dream  is  certain,  and  the  interpretation 
thereof  sure."  Whoever  the  author  of  the  Book  of  Dan- 
iel, the  events  which  have  taken  place  since  it  was  written 
and  that  are  taking  place  to-day  reveal  its  prophetic  char- 
acter. They  could  have  been  made  known  only  by  Him 
unto  whose  eyes  "all  things  are  naked  and  opened," 
even  the  secret  thoughts  of  the  heart. 

Hence  the  dream  of  Nebuchadnezzar  was  divinely  im- 
parted. "  Forasmuch  as  thou  sawest  .  .  .  the  great 
God  hath  made  it  known  to  the  king." 

Nebuchadnezzar's  worship  of  Daniel  as  the  represent- 
ative of  the  Most  High,  and  his  advancement  in  official 
rank  of  the  three  friends  of  Daniel  at  his  request,  with 
which  our  lesson  ends,  was  a  royal  confession  of  the  om- 
niscience of  Jehovah,  and  illustrates  the  value  of  a  good 
man's  friendship  and  of  the  faithfulness  of  the  divine 
Promiser  toward  those  who  trust  him. 

Nicholas  T.  Whitaker. 


190  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 


X. 

THE  FIERY  FURNACE. 

Dan.  iii,  13-25. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.  — When  thou  walkest  through  the  fire,  thou  shalt 
not  be  burned  ;  neither  shall  the  flame  kindle  upon  thee. 
Isa.  xliii,  2. 

We  are  already  familiar,  from  the  previous  lessons  out 
of  this  book,  with  the  leading  facts  concerning  the  three 
Hebrews  who  are  the  heroes  of  this  lesson.  We  have 
seen  who  they  are,  whence  they  came,  and  to  what  places 
of  honor  and  responsibility  they  have  attained.  We 
have  had  some  evidence  of  their  faith  in  God  and  loyalty 
to  the  religion  of  their  fathers.  They  are  emphatically 
choice  men,  still,  in  all  probability,  comparatively  young. 

The  incident  of  the  lesson  is,  so  far  as  we  know,  the 
climax  of  their  lives  ;  after  this  we  have  no  further  ac- 
count of  them.  Their  courage  and  faith  in  this  fiery 
trial  is  crowned  by  Jehovah  with  a  wonderful  deliver- 
ance ;  and  the  story  of  this  has  been  for  many  centuries, 
in  many  lands,  to  many  hearts  a  source  of  instruction, 
inspiration,  and  comfort. 

In  endeavoring  to  understand  this  event  and  to  draw 
forth  some  of  its  lessons  we  notice  : 

I.  That  the  incident  rests  on  the  solid  ground  of  his- 
tory, not  on  the  shifting  quicksands  of  legend. 


THE   FIERY  FURNACE.  191 

The  glory  of  Babylon  and  the  greatness  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar are  established  beyond  question  ;  and  the  mighty 
monarch  took  especial  pride  in  the  fact  that  the  great- 
ness of  the  city  in  his  time  he  had  largely  created. 
"  Altogether  there  is  reason  to  believe,"  says  Rawlinson, 
"  that  he  was  one  of  the  most  indefatigable  of  all  the 
builders  that  have  left  their  mark  upon  the  world  in 
which  we  live."  The  evidences  are  numerous,  also,  that 
he  was,  like  the  Greeks  whom  Paul  found  at  Athens, 
very  religious.  It  seems  a  most  natural  thing  that  such 
a  man  in  such  a  position  should  determine  to  set  up  in 
his  province  of  Babylon  a  lofty  and  splendid  image.  In 
Egypt,  at  an  earlier  date,  Rameses  the  Great  had  erected 
many  superb  statues  of  himself  as  the  representative  of 
divinity.  Colossal  statues  of  gold  were  familiar  to  the 
Babylonians.  Diodorus  of  Sicily  describes  three — fig- 
ures of  the  three  great  gods  of  Babylon  which  crowned 
the  temple  of  Bel  until  it  was  plundered  by  Xerxes.  A 
statue  of  one  of  the  Assyrian  kings  and  others  of  Nebo 
and  Istar  were  found  at  Nimroud,  so  that  Nebuchad- 
nezzar's golden  image  was  in  keeping  with  the  fashion 
of  the  time,  while  its  gigantic  size  harmonized  with  his 
other  creations  at  Babylon. 

The  monument  as  a  whole,  including,  we  may  sup- 
pose, the  platform  from  which  it  rose,  towered  to  a 
height  of  ninety  feet,  with  a  breadth  in  some  parts  of 
nine,  which  would  seem  to  indicate  that  the  image  was 
seated  rather  than  erect,  like  some  of  the  colossal  forms 
Nebuchadnezzar  had  seen  in  Egypt. 


19S  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

Whether  it  was  solid  gold,  or  wood  covered  with  layers 
of  gold,  and  whether  it  was  a  figure  of  a  chief  Babylo- 
nian deity,  or  of  Nebuchadnezzar  himself  as  a  representa- 
tive of  that  deity,  cannot  be  positively  determined. 

It  was  erected  in  the  plain  of  Dura,  in  the  province  of 
Babylon.  There  is  a  plain  retaining  this  name  about 
five  miles  from  the  great  city  to  the  south-east.  It  is 
marked  by  dry  channels  of  ancient  canals  for  irrigation, 
and  has  a  series  of  mounds  called  the  Mounds  of  Dura. 
Concerning  one  of  these,  "  the  squared  mound,"  nearly 
twenty  feet  high,  Oppert  says  :  "  On  seeing  this  mound 
one  is  instantly  struck  with  its  resemblance  to  the  ped- 
estal of  a  colossal  statue,  and  every  thing  leads  to  the 
conclusion  that  it  is  the  base  of  that  of  which  the  Book 
of  Daniel  speaks." 

The  inauguration  ceremonies  of  this  huge  idol  were  to 
be  on  a  scale  magnificent  even  for  Babylon  ;  and  to  the 
high  festival  the  monarch  summoned  representatives  of 
all  the  provinces  of  his  empire,  in  the  persons  of  those 
who  held  high  office  under  him.  Let  it  be  remembered 
that  it  was  the  Babylonian  custom  to  leave  over  each 
conquered  province  a  prince  belonging  to  the  vanquished 
nation,  while  they  and  the  people  whom  they  governed 
were  brought  under  tribute  to  the  empire. 

The  motive  of  Nebuchadnezzar  in  bringing  together 
this  great  company  of  officials,  and  in  commanding  them 
to  worship  the  image  he  had  set  up,  was  doubtless  po- 
litical as  well  as  religious.  He  wished  to  assert  his  sov- 
ereignty over  them  in  a  most  royally  absolute  manner  by 


THE  FIERY  FURNACE.  19S 

compelling  them  all  to  conform  to  the  idol-worship 
which  he  himself  preferred.  Religion  in  antiquity  was 
strictly  a  matter  of  state  ;  disloyalty  to  the  gods  ap- 
pointed for  public  worship  was  held  disloyalty  to  the 
monarch  who  commanded  the  homage.  In  accordance 
with  this  idea  it  was  proclaimed  that  any  who  refused  to 
prostrate  themselves  before  the  idol  when  the  music 
sounded  should  be  burned  to  death  in  a  fiery  furnace. 
A  picture  on  the  palace  walls  of  Assurbanipal,  at  Kouy- 
undjik,  shows  two  unfortunate  creatures  being  burned 
alive,  their  tongues  having  first  been  pulled  out.  The 
narrative  of  these  three  Hebrews  having  been  thrown 
into  the  burning  furnace  for  refusing  to  worship  the 
golden  image  is  thus  in  strict  accord  with  Babylonian 
usages. 

Considerable  discussion  has  prevailed  in  regard  to  the 
list  of  musical  instruments  mentioned  in  this  account. 
The  names  applied  to  some  of  these  instruments  are 
Greek — kitharis,  sambuke,  psalterion ;  "harp,  sackbut, 
psaltery  " — and  this  fact  has  been  urged  as  showing  that 
the  Book  of  Daniel  was  written  at  a  much  later  time 
than  the  age  of  Nebuchadnezzar.  But,  as  Geikie  says, 
"  though  music  occupies  a  small  space  in  the  sculptures 
of  the  earlier  kings,  it  became  a  prominent  feature  in  all 
religious  and  public  ceremonies  in  Assyria  and  Babylon 
in  the  beginning  of  the  sixth  century  before  Christ — that 
is,  just  before  the  time  of  Nebuchadnezzar;  and  nothing 
was  more  natural,  when  we  remember  the  wide  disper- 
sion of  the  Greeks  even  at  an  earlier  period,  than  that 


19 Jf  BOS  TON  HOMILIES. 

foreign  instruments  should  have  been  famihar  on  the 
Euphrates  at  this  time." 

Thus  we  see  that  all  the  facts  and  features  of  this  in- 
cident, as  presented  in  the  record  before  us,  are  in  no 
instance  contradictory  to,  but  altogether  harmonious 
with,  the  best  historical  knowledge  we  now  have  of  Neb- 
uchadnezzar and  his  times. 

2.  This  incident  has  some  bearing  on  the  relation  of 
civil  government  to  religion.  The  root  of  the  difficulty 
in  this  case  is  that  King  Nebuchadnezzar  had  no  right 
to  force  religious  services  upon  his  subjects.  It  was  a 
seriously  erroneous  idea  of  government,  then  quite  uni- 
versally prevalent,  that  if  a  man  would  not  obey  the  sov- 
ereign in  matters  of  religion  he  was  disloyal  to  the  State. 
The  king,  however,  did  not  know  this ;  he  was  simply 
doing  as  all  other  rulers  of  his  time  did.  It  cannot  even 
be  reasonably  supposed  that  the  three  noble  Hebrews 
who  were  the  sufferers  had  any  thought  that  their  rights 
as  subjects  and  as  men  were  trampled  upon  by  Nebu- 
chadnezzar's command.  But  in  our  age  and  land  we 
notice  this  fact  very  quickly.  We  as  a  people  have 
learned  the  great  lesson  that  God  alone  is  "  Lord  of  the 
conscience,"  and  that  all  men  are  entitled  to  worship 
him  according  to  their  sincere  religious  convictions.  Re- 
ligious compulsion,  exhibited  here  by  Nebuchadnezzar  in 
one  of  its  worst  forms,  has  given  place  to  a  religious  tol- 
eration which  seeks  to  fulfill  the  divine  law,  "  Thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself."  The  development  of  this 
change  of  thought  and  practice  has  been  slow  and  pain- 


THE    FIERY   FURNACE.  195 

ful,  a  growth  of  many  centuries;  and  our  present  re- 
ligious freedom  has  been  purchased  at  a  great  cost. 

While  we  may  not  claim  for  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and 
Abed-nego  that  they  were  in  this  instance  consciously 
standing  for  such  religious  freedom,  yet  it  is  due  to  them 
to  say  that  they  belong  in  an  important  sense  in  the 
noble  army  of  Non-conformists,  those  who  felt  that  they 
must  obey  God  rather  than  men,  and  for  whom  duty  to 
God  was  above  every  other  consideration.  It  is  to  men 
of  this  type  that  the  world  chiefly  owes  the  religious 
freedom  it  now  enjoys. 

3.  We  are  thus  led  naturally  to  observe  that  these  men 
were  true  heroes.  They  understood  the  king  and  the 
situation  in  which  they  were  placed  well  enough  to  be 
sure  that  their  refusal  to  join  in  the  acts  of  homage  to 
the  great  image  would  be  fatal.  There  was  much  at 
stake  in  addition  to  their  own  lives — the  happiness  of 
their  friends,  especially  their  great  associate  and  benefac- 
tor, Daniel,  and  the  welfare  of  the  captive  people  whose 
chief  representatives  in  places  of  power  they  were.  It 
would  seem  as  though  the  temptation  must  have  been 
very  strong  to  look  at  the  whole  matter  in  the  light  of 
a  governmental  or  political  necessity,  and  to  bow  to  the 
image  in  company  with  the  large  body  of  officials  as  a 
formal  expedient  to  prevent  trouble,  preserve  peace,  save 
life. 

But  there  was  a  clause  in  the  holy  law  of  Jehovah 
which  they  had  known  from  their  youth  :  "  Thou  shalt 
not  make  unto  thee  any  graven  image.  .  .  .  Thou  shalt 


196  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

not  bow  down  thyself  to  them,  no"  serve  them."  This 
they  could  not  forget,  and  they  would  not  violate.  So 
they  "  said  to  the  king,  O  Nebuchadnezzar,  we  are  not 
careful  to  answer  thee  in  this  matter.  If  it  be  so,  our  God 
whom  we  serve  is  able  to  deliver  us  from  the  burning 
fiery  furnace,  and  he  will  deliver  us  out  of  thine  hand,  O 
king.  But  if  noty  be  it  known  unto  thee,  O  king,  that  we 
will  not  serve  thy  gods,  nor  worship  the  golden  image 
which  thou  hast  set  up." 

They  cherished  hope  of  deliverance ;  but  as  true  he- 
roes of  faith  they  were  unconditionally  determined  to  be 
obedient  to  God. 

4,  We  consider  the  glorious  deliverance  wrought  by 
Jehovah  for  his  faithful  servants.  Their  faith  and  obe- 
dience did  not  save  them  from  trial.  The  king,  full  of 
fury  at  their  firm  opposition  to  his  will,  determined  to 
inflict  the  prescribed  penalty  in  the  severest  possible 
form.  Into  the  midst  of  the  furnace  at  its  intensest  heat 
they  were  cast  bound.  The  king,  looking  in,  saw  four 
men  loose,  walking  in  the  midst  of  the  fire  and  having 
no  hurt.  "  The  aspect  of  the  fourth,"  the  monarch  said, 
"is  like  a  son  of  the  gods."  By  this  expression  Nebu- 
chadnezzar indicated  his  belief  that  a  being  of  the  race 
of  the  gods  was  present  in  the  furnace  ;  it  is  not  to  be 
understood  that  he  recognized  in  this  being  him  whom 
we  call  the  Son  of  God.  At  the  same  time  many  able 
and  devout  students  of  the  Scriptures  hold  that  the  form 
of  the  fourth  in  the  furnace  was  a  manifestation  of  that 
"Angel  of  the  Covenant"   who  appeared   many  times 


THE  FIERY  FURNACE.  IffY 

during  the  eariier  dispensation,  the  second  person  of  the 
Trinity,  who  in  the  fullness  of  time  became  incarnate  for 
us.  By  his  presence  and  gracious  power  his  persecuted 
servants  were  comforted,  preserved,  and  deHvered.  And 
upon  them  rested  the  honor  of  having,  by  their  loyalty 
to  Jehovah,  caused  his  name  to  be  magnified  afresh,  and 
their  own  faith  and  that  of  their  fellow  Hebrews  to  be 
vindicated  before  these  representatives  of  the  great  world- 
power,  and  by  the  king's  decree  throughout  the  range 
of  the  Assyrian  dominion. 

The  significance  of  this  deliverance  to  all  God's  chil- 
dren in  time  of  severe  trial  is  well  intimated  in  the  Gold- 
en Text.  A  little  reflection  also  will  suggest  the  bear- 
ing of  the  incident  upon  the  Hebrew  people  in  this  time 
of  their  captivity  in  a  strange  land.  Jehovah  would  not 
utterly  forsake  them,  but  would  yet  bring  them  forth 
from  their  trials,  and  vindicate  his  name  and  covenant 

before  all  people. 

Henry  A.  Starks. 


198  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 


XI. 

THE  DEN  OF  LIONS. 

Dan.  vi,  16-28. 

GOLDEN   TEXT.— No    manner    of  hurt    was    found    upon    hinri, 
because    he    believed,    in   his   God.     Dan.  vi,  23. 

On  a  clay  tablet  belonging  to  the  archives  of  Assur- 
banipal  II.  is  the  following  record  :  "  Saulmugina,  my 
rebellious  brother,  who  made  war  with  me,  in  the  fierce 
burning  fire  they  threw  him,  and  destroyed  his  life.  And 
the  people  who  to  Saulmugina,  my  rebellious  brother, 
he  had  caused  to  join,  and  those  evil  things  did,  who 
death  deserved.  .  .  .  One  sinner  did  not  escape  from  my 
hands,  my  hand  held  them.  .  .  .  Their  tongues  I  pulled 
out,  their  overthrow  I  accomplished.  The  rest  of  the 
people  alive  among  the  .  .  .  lions  and  bulls,  which  Sen- 
nacherib, my  grandfather,  in  the  midst  had  thrown  ; 
again  into  that  pit  those  men  I  threw."  * 

Hardly  eight  years  after  that  was  stamped  on  the  soft 
clay  we  have  in  Bible  annals  a  full-length  picture  of 
"  the  fierce  burning  fire  ;  "  and  about  forty  years  later 
still,  in  the  present  lesson,  "  that  pit  "  is  with  like  vivid- 
ness depicted.  In  those  forty  years  the  scepter  of  As- 
syria had  passed  into  Persian  or  Parsee  hands,  and  it 
would  have   been   impious   to    use   the   sacred  element, 

*  Smith's  Assyrian  Discoveries^  pp.  343,  343. 


THE  DEN  OF  LIONS.  199 

fire,  as  an  instrument  of  death  (A.R.  Faiissei)\  but  aside 
from  this  the  official  "•  ring  "  who  surrounded  the  throne 
of  Darius  Cyaxares  did  not  scruple  to  use  any  trick  or 
cruelty  by  which  they  might  destroy  the  incorruptible 
statesman  Daniel.  He  continually  shamed  and  obstruct- 
ed, if  he  did  not  actually  punish,  their  misdeeds. 

Thus  it  appears  that  about  all  that  is  left  of  the  '*  state 
papers  "  of  an  empire  that  endured  for  at  least  eight 
hundred  years  is  enough  to  show  those  who  will  accept 
nothing  merely  on  the  authority  of  God's  word  that 
Daniel  is  a  writer  of  veritable  history  and  to  help  the 
unbelief  of  doubting  Thomases.  But  while  these  con- 
tacts between  sacred  and  secular  annals  are  sufficient  to 
prove  that  both  belong  to  the  same  fabric  of  real  human 
history,  they  surely  serve  also  another  and  still  higher 
end.  History  has  been  compared  to  tapestry,  on  one 
side  of  which  can  be  seen  only  ends  of  threads  and  ir- 
regular masses  of  colors,  while  on  the  "  right  side  "  there 
are  no  ragged  thrums  and  disorderly  blotches,  but  a 
beautiful  picture.  Secular  annals — the  daily  newspapers 
— show  us  little  more  than  a  dreary  expanse  of  conflicts 
and  destructions ;  and  it  would  be  hard  to  discover  any 
good  and  worthy  plan  in  them  were  it  not  for  glimpses 
of  "the  right  side  of  things"  given  here  and  there  in 
the  sacred  annals.  They  show  us  that  God  has  been 
working  through  all  the  ages  and  in  all  lands  on  a  tapes- 
try whose  full  beauty  and  extent  the  universe  shall  one 
day  see.  Or  we  may  illustrate  the  same  thought  by  a 
more  familiar  object — the  kaleidoscope.     Secular  history 


SOO  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

resembles  those  bits  of  broken  glass  lying  in  the  hand, 
but  as  they,  when  put  into  that  three-cornered  tube  and 
held  up  to  the  light  and  turned,  flash  into  forms  of  amaz- 
ing and  almost  endlessly  varied  beauty,  so  when  we 
study  these  inspired  histories  we  find  selfish  intrigues 
and  deeds  of  blood,  the  many  weak  and  base  and  the 
few  strong  and  noble  characters  working  out  the  "  deter- 
minate counsel  and  foreknowledge"  of  God.  The  sin 
and  wrong  are  not  condoned  and  glorified ;  "  he  that  is 
filthy"  remains  "filthy  still;"  nothing  can  change  the 
real  moral  character  of  past  deeds.  Yet  as  God  "  turns 
and  overturns  till  he  shall  come  whose  right  it  is  to 
rule,"  we  are  led  to  adore  his  overruling  providence. 

In  this  kaleidoscopic  turning  various  features  of  human 
character  and  various  parts  of  what  may  be  called  scen- 
ery in  the  drama  of  history  strangely  appear  and  reappear. 
Take,  for  example,  that  great  prophetic  Psalm — the  twen- 
ty-second. For  more  than  a  thousand  years  its  first  verse 
kept  words  waiting  to  express  the  Messiah's  agony  on  the 
cross,  "  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?" 
Yet  almost  midway  in  that  long  period  our  present  lesson 
shows  one  of  God's  heroes  passing  through  strikingly  sim- 
ilar experiences.  Dr.  John  De  Witt's  fine  translation  of 
the  Psalms,  The  Praise  Songs  of  Israel,  shows  this  a  little 
more  plainly  than  our  ordinary  version.     Verses  1 1  and 

1 2  read  : 

*'  Mighty  bulls  have  surrounded  me  ; 
The  strong  of  Bashan  encircle  me : 
They  open  their  mouths  against  me, 
As  if  lions  were  rending  and  roaring." 


THE  DEN  OF  LIONS.  201 

And  again  (vers.  19-21): 

"  But  thou,  O  Jehovah,  be  not  far  off ! 

O  my  strength  !  for  my  help  haste  thee  ? 

Snatch  away  from  the  sword  my  life ; 

My  precious  life  from  the  power  of  the  dog. 

Save  me  from  the  mouth  of  the  lion. 

And  from  the  horns  of  wild  cattle  tkou  hast  answered  me/  " 

Whether  David  had  in  view  the  savage  deeds  of  the 
old  Assyrian  empire  or  not  his  language  certainly  links 
together  this  conflict  of  Daniel  and  the  supreme  con- 
flict and  victory  of  Calvary  and  the  sepulcher.  Compar- 
ing the  historic  narratives  of  these  two  events,  we  ob- 
serve in  both  hurried  and  tumultuous  plottings,  barely 
veiled  by  forms  of  law,  fruitless  efforts  to  extricate  ac- 
knowledged innocence  from  the  net  of  intrigue,  and  the 
ofificial  sealing  of  dark  and  terrible  caverns.  Still  keep- 
ing in  mind  the  resemblances  between  the  sufferings  of 
Daniel  and  those  of  Christ,  let  us  see  how  they  combine 
to  reveal  some  of  the  great  principles  of  human  action. 

I.  We  see  in  the  palace  of  Darius  and  the  judgment- 
hall  of  Pilate,  as  so  often  elsewhere,  how  unfortunate  it 
is  for  weak  characters  to  be  placed  in  any  critical  posi- 
tion. To  be  a  king  and  not  be  kingly,  to  move  in  the 
first  circles  and  be  of  a  very  inferior  grade  of  character, 
may  seem  to  pass  when  there  is  no  call  for  any  thing  but 
court  ceremonial  and  oflficial  "  red  tape,"  or  the  proper 
method  of  using  cards,  etc.,  but  it  is  far  otherwise  when 
great  questions  are  to  be  decided.  Then  to  occupy 
some  high  station  is  only  to  have  one's  moral  weakness 

the  more  widely  advertised. 
9* 


S02  n OS  TON  HOMILIES. 

2.  In  Darius  we  see  what  possibilities  of  contradiction 
and  inconsistency  human  nature  has  in  it.  He  presents 
a  grotesque  jumble  of  Pilate  and  those  who  sought  the 
sepulcher  at  early  dawn.  One  day  he  represents  those 
to  whom  custom  and  precedent  are  more  sacred  than  jus- 
tice, and  the  next  day  those  who  can  right  wrongs  only  in 
wild  and  lawless  ways — a  sort  of  Judge  Lynch  on  a 
throne. 

3.  Many  a  man  is  as  proud  of  his  consistency,  of  al- 
ways holding  one  opinion  and  doing  one  way,  as  the 
Medes  and  Persians  were  of  the  unchangeability  of  their 
laws,  and  often  with  as  little  reason  and  as  poor  results. 
Where  it  is  a  mere  pride  of  self-will  such  are  as  likely  as 
Darius  to  be  hoodwinked  and  led  by  influences  of  which 
they  do  not  know  the  source  or  aim. 

4.  In  those  two  judgment-halls  of  Darius  and  of  Pilate 
we  see  how  the  noblest  may  come  into  the  grasp  of  the 
basest,  and  may  seem  to  drift  helplessly  to  destruction. 
In  the  evolution  of  the  work  of  redemption  it  seems  to 
be  a  law  that  there  can  be  no  great  victory  for  God's 
cause  without  the  occurrence  of  such  events.  Wicked- 
ness is  generally  able  to  accomplish  the  temporary  de- 
feat of  any  good  cause. 

5.  God's  real  champion — every  true  man — sooner  or 
later  comes  forth  triumphant.  Christ  was  thrust  into 
the  grave,  but  at  the  very  gates  of  hell  triumphantly 
proclaimed  his  kingdom,  shut  with  his  own  hand  the 
mouths  of  its  hungry  lions  so  that  they  touched  not 
even  his   flesh,  and   summoned   from  glory  an  angel  to 


THE  DEN  OF  LIONS.  SOS 

open  for  him  the  way  back  to  earth.  On  a  lower  plane 
so  it  was  with  Daniel,  and  is  with  every  man  who  takes 
unto  him  the  whole  armor  of  God.  Nor  shall  we  have 
long  to  stay  in  the  lions'  den  when  the  glory  of  God  re- 
quires an  early  release.  "Weeping"  then  "may  en- 
dure for  a  night,  but  joy  cometh  in  the  morning."  Thus 
Job  found  it ;  thus  did  Paul  also  at  first,  so  that  he  ex- 
ultantly wrote  :  "  The  Lord  stood  with  me,  and  strength- 
ened me ;  that  by  me  the  preaching  might  be  fully 
known,  and  that  all  the  Gentiles  might  hear :  and  I  was 
delivered  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  lion  "  (2  Tim.  iv,  17). 
Yet  even  while  writing  this  he  knew  it  would  not  be  so 
always,  and  that  the  hour  of  his  departure  was  at  hand 
(2  Tim.  iv,  6).  Sometimes  the  "  hour  and  the  power  of 
darkness  "  are  longer,  as  many  a  martyr  witnesses  be- 
fore the  throne  (Rev.  vi,  9-11).  Yet  "deliverance  will 
come  "  for  them,  and  for  all  who  "  do  good  and  keep 
right  on  "  (Rev.  xix,  i,  2). 

6.  It  seems  very  plain  that  living  harmless  and  unag- 
gressive lives  does  not  secure  men  against  getting  into 
trouble  on  account  of  the  service  of  God.  While  Dan- 
iel's life  perpetually  rebuked  the  corruption  prevalent 
around  him,  there  is  no  record  or  probability  that  he 
was  in  any  active  sense  a  missionary  of  the  true  religion. 
That  was  not  a  missionary  dispensation,  and  partly  for 
that  reason,  probably,  God  had  great  difficulty  some 
three  hundred  years  earlier  in  getting  Jonah  to  go  on  an 
errand  of  that  kind.  Yet  the  hour  of  conflict  and  trial 
did  not  fail  to  come,  and  in  some  form  will  come  to  us 


;?04  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

all.  If  we  have  deliberately  evaded  the  cross  and  sought 
a  path  of  ease  we  will  go  down  in  the  great  conflict  of 
our  lives.  But  if,  like  Daniel,  we  have  dedicated  soul 
and  body  to  high  principle  and  the  service  of  God,  then 
in  that  dread  hour  it  will  be  ours,  "  having  done  all,"  to 
"  stand,"  and  at  the  great  day  of  deliverance  the  report 
will  be, There  is  "no  manner  of  hurt  found  upon  him," 
"  no  spot  nor  wrinkle,  nor  any  such  thing,"  "because  he 
trusted  in  his  God." 

John  P.  Otis. 


MESSIAH'S  REIGN.  205 


XIII.* 
MESSIAH'S  REIGN. 

Psa.  Ixxii,  1-19. 

GOLDEN    TEXT.  — All    kings    shall    fall    down    before     him:    all 
nations  shall  serve  hinn.     Psa.  Ixxii,  ii. 

The  place  of  this  Psalm  in  Jewish  history  is  probably 
where  David  delivers  up  the  kingdom  to  Solomon.  (See 
I  Chron.  xxviii,  xxix.)  It  was  designed  as  a  sort  of  Church 
prayer  on  behalf  of  the  new  king.  But  as  the  prophets 
prophesied  larger  and  fuller  than  they  knew,  so  the  singer 
sang  a  more  exalted  strain  than  he  was  always  conscious  of. 

Delitzsch  tells  us  that  the  Old  Testament  view  of  the 
Redeemer  of  the  world  unfolds  itself  something  like 
this :  The  Old  Testament  in  relation  to  the  New  is  as 
night  to  day.  In  that  night  there  appeared  two  stars  of 
promise.  The  one  describes  its  path  from  above  down- 
ward ;  it  is  the  promise  of  Jehovah  who  is  about  to  come. 
The  other  describes  its  path  from  below  upward  ;  it  is 
the  hope  Avhich  rests  upon  the  seed  of  David.  These 
two  stars  meet  at  last.  They  blend  into  one.  The 
night  waneth  and  the  day  appears.  The  one  star  is 
Jehovah  and  the  Son  of  David,  the  Redeemer  and  the 
King  of  Israel — in  one  word,  the  God-man,  Jesus  Christ. 

Looking  at  this  Psalm  more  closely,  what  do  we  find 

*  No  homily  is  given  for  Lesson  XII,  which  is  a  review. 


S06  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

to  be  the  traits  of  the  God-man,  according  to  Hebrew 
thought  at  this  period  of  the  world's  spiritual  enhghten- 
ment  ? 

I.  That  his  judgment  shall  be  in  righteousness  (vers.  1-5). 
This  is  the  very  first  thing  that  is  prayed  for  in  the 
very  first  line:  Give  thy  judgments  and  thy  righteous- 
ness, O  God  ;  while  the  second  verse  asserts  that  in 
righteousness  will  be  his  judgments,  and  to  that  extent 
it  will  be  as  if  it  sprang  forth  from  the  very  hills  and 
mountains. 

How  is  it  that  among  the  great  mass  of  people  who 
have  little  money  and  less  influence  with  people  in  high 
places  there  is  not  only  a  growing  feeling,  but  also 
a  settled  conviction,  that  there  is  no  justice  to  be 
obtained  in  the  courts  ?  We  hear  this  bitterly  asserted 
almost  every  week,  and  sometimes  see  it  strikingly 
illustrated,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Mafia  trial  in  New 
Orleans,  where  the  best  citizens  arose  and  deliberately  put 
eleven  of  the  guilty  wretches  to  death.  What  is  the 
trouble?  It  is  because  too  many  of  our  judges  neither 
fear  God  nor  regard  man,  but  do  have  an  eye  to  financial 
increase  and  legal  political  preferment. 

The  New  York  press  asks  over  and  over  again  when 
one  of  the  ward  politicians,  who  is  also  the  proprietor  of 
some  of  the  worst  drinking  dens  and  brothels,  is  promoted, 
as  a  reward,  to  a  judgeship,  **  What  man  expects  that 
he  can  get  justice  done  in  the  New  York  courts?" 
These  men  have  absolutely  no  knowledge  of  the  law ; 
some  of  them  could  with  difficulty  sign  their  names  to  a 


MESSIAH'S  REIGN.  207 

legal  document,  or  even  read  it;  and,  besides,  all  lack  any 
thing  like  good  common  sense  and  every-day  honesty. 
How  into  these  dingy  halls,  misnamed  courts  of  jus- 
tice, should  come  the  righteousness  of  the  Messiah,  un- 
til righteousness  should  seem  to  spring  forth  from  bar 
and  bench  as  in  poetic  and  prophetic  vision  it  rose  from 
the  little  hill  and  the  great  mountain  !  Thus  the  poor- 
est of  the  poor  and  the  children  of  the  needy  could  come 
with  confidence,  knowing  that  their  oppressors  should  be 
broken  in  pieces.  And  the  respect  that  is  now  rightfully 
withheld  from  judge  and  juror  would  be  given  as  long  as 
the  sun  and  moon  endure,  while  poor,  blinded,  cheated 
Justice  would  hold  her  scales  with  a  new  grace  because 
clothed  anew  with  righteousness. 

2.  In  the  second  place  we  learn  that  his  presence  shall 
be  reviving  (vers.  6,  f).  As  we  write  there  is  a  spring 
drought  over  the  land,  immense  forest  fires  are  raging  in 
Michigan  and  Pennsylvania,  and  smaller  fires  at  a  thou- 
sand different  places  in  almost  every  State.  The  morn- 
ing paper  tells  us  that  any  two  of  the  dozen  counties 
filled  with  fire  in  Michigan  are  as  large  as  the  whole  State 
of  Rhode  Island,  while  in  Pennsylvania  the  fires  in  the 
mountains  are  beyond  all  human  control,  and  nothing 
but  a  rain-fall  can  stop  their  havoc. 

Is  not  this  an  opportune  illustration  of  the  wither- 
ing, consuming  power  of  sin  ?  Have  we  not  seen  the 
withered,  stunted  growth  of  humanity — withered  and 
stunted  because  of  a  faulty  and  partial  manifestation  of 
Christ,  as  in  Catholicism,  and  from  that  all  the  way  down 


iS08  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

to  rankest  and  rawest  heathenism  ?  Have  we  not  seen 
how  error,  as  a  wild-fire,  will  sweep  through  a  community, 
leaving  blackened  and  ruined  homes  and  lives  ?  There 
is  scarcely  a  town  in  the  nation  which  has  not  been,  or  is 
not  now  being,  burned  over  by  spiritualism  or  liberalism. 
These  are  as  bad  while  they  last  as  the  fire  of  the  rum-shop. 
Just  now  in  our  town  spiritualism  has  made  bankrupt 
business  men,  ruined  the  reputation  and  characters  of 
church  members,  separated  husbands  and  wives,  and  sent 
at  least  one  victim  into  the  insane  asylum.  We  have 
seen  how  a  fire  of  demoralization  will  sweep  through  the 
young  men  of  a  community  until  the  streets  are  filled 
•with  those  who  were  once  the  pride  of  the  town,  but 
who  are  now  so  withered  and  scorched  that  none  who 
know  them  will  trust  or  employ  them. 

What  is  needed  ?  Is  it  not  the  presence  of  Him  who 
will  come  down  upon  these  young  and  growing  lives  like 
the  spring  rain  upon  the  tender  plant,  and  an  out- 
pouring of  the  Messianic  Spirit  that  will  drench  these 
fiery  evils  which  leave  only  blackened  ruin  behind  them, 
like  a  three  days*  rain  upon  these  burning  counties?  As 
the  growing  plant  cannot  thrive  without  rain,  so  neither 
can  men  flourish,  nor  can  there  be  an  abundance  of 
peace  without  the  reign  of  Christ  upon  the  earth. 

3.  Wc  still  further  see  that  his  dominion  sJiall  be 
universal  (vers.  8-1 1).  Here  we  strike  a  glorious  note. 
Or,  if  this  Psalm  were  compared  to  a  magnificent  arch, 
these  verses  would  constitute  the  key-stone  or  turn  of 
the  arch  as  it  swings  down  to  its  other  buttress.       Why 


MESSIAH'S  REIGN.  209 

could  not  the  teacher  illustrate  it  to  the  scholar  this  way : 
with  its  seven  verses  on  one  side  and  seven  on  the  other, 
calling  the  eighteenth  and  nineteenth  the  doxology,  as 
they  really  are.  Then  how  this  mighty  arch  lifts  itself 
high  above  the  sluggish  and  factory-polluted  river,  with  its 
slime  and  reptiles !  Is  this  a  fact  or  only  a  poetic  license, 
that  the  great  river  of  humanity  is  to  flow  under  the 
Messiah,  as  the  river,  with  all  its  burden  of  commerce, 
pleasure,  and  profits,  flows  under  the  bridge  which  spans 
it  ?  How  little  likely  it  appeared  when  spoken  !  Israel, 
though  prosperous,  was  a  small  nation  among  the  great 
nations  of  the  earth.  How  less  likely  after  one  thousand 
years  of  wrong  culminating  in  the  crucifixion  of  the  God- 
man  !  What  of  its  likelihood  to-day?  But  that  is  not  the 
question.  What  is  the  plain  teaching  of  the  prophecy? 
Let  us  take  it  for  exact  truth,  though  in  poetic  form, 
and  then  under  greatest  defeat,  as  well  as  in  grandest  vic- 
tory, in  darkest  night  as  in  brightest  day,  there  will  be 
the  sure,  if  not  swift,  word  of  success. 

4.  In  the  fourth  place  we  are  taught  that  this  re- 
lationship  to  the  poor  shall  be  gracious  (vers.  12-15). 
When  times  are  prosperous,  and  men  are  making  more 
money  than  they  well  know  what  to  do  with,  then  the 
poor  are  apt  to  suffer  and  the  needy  to  be  oppressed. 
This  seems  a  strange  assertion  to  make,  yet  we  believe 
history  bears  us  out  in  it.  With  this  thought  turn  and 
read  anew  the  Book  of  Amos.  How  hard  it  is  for  us  to 
realize  that  when  these  prophecies  were  uttered  Israel 
was  in  its  greatest  glory!       Never  before  such  an  exten- 


210  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

sive  territory,  never  before  such  a  boom  in  business  or 
so  much  money  made.  Houses  of  ivory  were  erected, 
and  beautiful  grounds  were  made.  Before  this,  when  a 
king  built  for  himself  a  house  of  ivory,  it  was  thought  of 
sufficient  importance  to  be  recorded  in  the  religious 
annals  of  the  nation ;  but  now  such  houses  were  so 
common  that  they  were  not  worth  mentioning  as  sep- 
arate facts.  And  yet,  alas  !  never  so  many  poor  and 
oppressed.  This  has  been  true  with  other  nations — 
ought  we  not  to  say  with  all  nations?  We  see  it  in 
the  giant  corporations  and  trusts  of  modern  times.  The 
more  millions  that  are  combined,  and  the  more  millions 
that  are  made,  the  more  the  wages  of  the  poor  are  re- 
duced and  the  greater  is  the  oppression  of  the  needy. 

But  how  glorious  is  the  contrast  in  the  growing  pros- 
perity of  Messiah's  kingdom  !  "  To  whom  will  I  look?  " 
says  Jehovah.  "To  the  man  of  a  humble  spirit." 
"  Whose  cry  will  I  hear  ? "  "  The  cry  of  him  whose 
wages  are  kept  back  by  fraud. "  Money  and  blood — the  ten 
per  cent,  cut-down — both  alike  cry  unto  God.  But  from 
the  oppressor  shall  the  Messiah  redeem  their  souls  from 
deceit  and  violence,  and  make  even  the  poor  rich  with 
the  gold  of  Sheba,  and  richer  still  in  spiritual  blessings. 

5.  Finally  we  learn  that  his  growth  shall  be  marvel- 
ous and  his  kingship  without  end  {yers.  16,  17).  Rapidity 
of  growth  and  permanency  are  incompatible.  Jonah's 
gourd  may  grow  up  in  a  night,  but  it  will  wither  away 
in  a  day.  It  may  tower  high  enough  for  a  man  to 
find  cool  shadows  from  the  heat  of  a  burning  sun,  but 


MESSIAH'S  REIGN.  211 

a  worm  can  gnaw  its  life  away,  and  lay  it  low.  The  Know- 
nothing  movement,  the  Knights  of  Labor,  and  the  Alli- 
ance may  assume  immense  proportions  in  a  twelve- 
month. Strange  sects  and  doctrines  and  heresies  by  the 
thousand  threaten  for  a  little  season  to  annihilate  all  ex- 
isting forms  of  religious  belief,  but  the  wind  of  divine 
thought  passeth  over  them  and  they  are  gone,  and  the 
places  that  knew  them  shall  know  them  no  more  forever. 
What  unwise  observers  are  those  persons  who  are  capt- 
ured by  the  rush  and  glamour  of  the  Theosophists,  or 
Christian  "  science,"  or  spiritualism,  or  exaggerated  "  faith 
cures,"  or  any  thing  else  that  has  not  been  of  the  sub- 
stantial and  legitimate  growth  of  the  divine  seed  !  This 
growth  has  on  the  whole  been  comparatively  slow  and 
regular.  It  is  the  fungus  of  Christianity  which  has  been 
rapid  in  growth,  as  in  the  days  of  Constantine,  and  not 
only  useless,  but  offensive.  But  here  is  a  plant  of  two 
thousand  years  of  historic  growth,  under  adverse  circum- 
stances, in  closest  and  keenest  competition.  Shall  we 
not  expect  it  to  continue  ?  The  figure  of  its  marvelous 
development  is  beautiful  and  strong.  On  the  one  side 
shall  the  growth  be  to  the  verdure  line  on  the  mount- 
ains, and  on  the  other  men  shall  blossom  out  of  this  city 
and  out  of  that  city  as  the  herbs  from  the  bosom  of  the 
earth.  How  rapid,  strong,  and  beautiful  should  be  the  in- 
crease of  the  Church  of  Christ !  Where  is  the  grievous 
something  which  stands  in  the  way  of  the  swift  realiza- 
tion of  this  prophecy?  In  some  sections  it  requires 
close  figuring  to  prove  that  the  increase  is  commensurate 


212  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

with  the  population ;  in  others,  the  advance  has  been 
satisfactory,  considering  the  hinderance  ;  while  in  a  third, 
the  increase  has  been  more  than  could  be  harvested. 
How  glorious  the  news  which  comes  from  India!  The 
handful  of  seed  sown  there  is  yielding  such  a  harvest 
that  all  who  might  be  baptized  into  the  Christian  faith 
cannot  be  trained  and  built  up  in  Christ  for  lack  of  men 
and  means.  One  presiding  elder.  Rev.  Hasan  Raza 
Khan,  is  supporting  five  scholars,  at  a  cost  of  twelve  dol- 
lars a  month,  out  of  his  own  salary,  which  is  only  fifteen 
dollars  a  month.  That  leaves  a  small  margin  for  living. 
In  the  short  space  of  two  months  he  baptized  three  hun- 
dred and  twelve  converts,  and  says  that  before  the  close 
of  the  year  he  might  just  as  well  make  it  four  thousand, 
but  dare  not  baptize  them  faster  than  he  can  train  and 
educate  them  for  Christ.  "These  people,"  he  writes, 
"  become  Christians  from  the  heart."  Dr.  Scott,  of  North 
India,  declares  that  "  ten  thousand  heathen  could  be  gath- 
ered in  this  year,  if  we  had  the  men  and  the  means  for 
so  great  a  work."  Bishop  Thoburn  says :  "  This  is  much 
too  low ;  twenty  thousand  could  be  baptized,  if  we  were 
able  to  teach  them."  Does  it  not  seem  as  if  the  singer's 
song  were  being  most  wonderfully  fulfilled  just  now  in 
many  of  our  mission  stations? 

6.  The  conclusion  or  doxology  of  the  Psalm  (vers. 
1 8,  19).  First,  let  us  remind  ourselves  in  a  sentence  of  its 
teaching.  It  is  of  the  Messiah,  of  his  character  and 
reign.  He  shall  be  righteous  in  judgment,  reviving  in 
his  influence,  universal  in  his  dominion,  gracious  to  the 


MESSIAH'S  REIGN.  SIS 

poor  and  needy,  marvelous  in  growth,  and  eternal  in  his 
kingship.  Therefore,  "  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God,  the 
God  of  Israel,  who  alone  doeth  wondrous  things.  And 
blessed  be  his  glorious  name  forever:  and  let  the  whole 
earth  be  filled  with  his  glory.    Amen,  and  amen." 

We  have  here  a  doxology  to  be  sung.  And  let  the 
people  sing  and  shout  over  the  victories  past,  and  be- 
lieve in  the  victories  to  come.  But  the  best  "Amen" 
that  any  can  give  to  this  Messianic  Psalm  of  glorious 
promise  is  a  financial  one.  Here  the  amen  is  doubled. 
It  is  "Amen,  ««^ Amen."  So  should  it  be  with  a  great 
many  men's  subscriptions  to  the  cause  of  the  world's 
evangelization,  at  home  and  abroad. 

"The  prayers  of  David  the  son  of  Jesse  are  ended." 
Thus  will  end,  sooner  or  later,  the  works  and  prayers  of 
all  as  individuals ;  therefore  ought  we  to  work  and  pray 
the  more  earnestly  while  the  day  lasts.  But  may  the 
zeal  of  God's  united  hosts  never  cease  until  this  Psalm  of 
calm  conquest  and  universal  victory  shall  be  realized 
through  the  whole  world.     Amen,  and  amen  ! 

W.  G.  Richardson. 


THIRD   QUARTER. 


I. 

THE  ASCENSION  OF  CHRIST. 

Acts  i,  I-I2. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— When  he  had  spoken  these  things,  -while  they 
beheld,  he  was  taken  up  ;  and  a  cloud  received  hinn  out  of 
their  sight.     Acts  i,  g. 

The  visible  passing  of  the  Son  of  man  from  earth  to 
heaven  is  one  of  the  "  hinge-events  "  of  his  life.  On 
that  event  turns  the  claim  of  his  character  and  mission. 

It  is  nowhere  revealed  with  what  acclamations  he  was 
received  in  the  heavens.  But  whatever  the  joy,  the  in- 
fluence of  his  ascension  on  the  saints  on  the  earth  has 
been  to  lead  them,  like  the  men  of  Galilee  who  saw  him 
taken  up  from  them,  to  worship  him.  Thenceforth  he 
was  the  God-Man. 

I.  The  Fact.  Seneca  said  :  "  The  ascent  from  earth  to 
heaven  is  not  easy."  But  Seneca  was  an  atheist,  if  we 
may  believe  his  adversaries.  The  atheist  will  not  receive 
the  witness  of  men.  And  Jesus  said  :  "  How  shall  ye 
believe  if  I  tell  you  of  heavenly  things  ?  " 

The  difficulties  concerning  supernaturalism  are  all  dif- 
ficulties of  disbelief.  To  the  mind  of  the  believer  there 
appears  nothing  that  is  difficult  to  Jesus  in  his  miracles. 
The  disbeliever  rejects  miracles  because  he  thinks  them 
to  be  impossible.  His  disbelief  is  a  form  of  atheism. 
Given  God  in  his  world,  and  nothing  is  more  natural  than 

supernaturalism. 
10 


S18  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

The  ascension  of  Jesus,  like  the  resurrection  or  birth  of 
Jesus,  was  only  natural  supernaturalism.  It  "  was  a 
necessary  consequence  of  the  resurrection,"  as  it  was  the 
consummation  of  the  series  of  his  redemptive  miracles. 
It  was  natural  with  him  ;  it  would  have  been  unnatural 
with  his  disciples. 

The  time,  the  place,  the  nature,  and  the  witnesses  of 
the  ascension  all  corroborate  the  supernatural  claim. 
In  the  way  most  natural  to  human  experience  they  fur- 
nish indisputable  proof  that  the  final  departure  of  Jesus 
was  not  illusory,  but  simply  as  the  disciples  represented 
it  to  be. 

The  time  was  opportune.  "  After  having  lived  awhile 
on  earth  ;  after  having  offered  his  body  as  a  sacrifice  for 
sin ;  after  having  been  raised  from  the  dead ;  after  hav- 
ing shown  himself  alive  to  his  disciples  by  many  infallible 
proofs,  then  he  led  them  out  as  far  as  Bethany,  and  in 
the  presence  of  the  whole  Church  then  collected  together 
he  was  taken  up  into  heaven." 

Equally  interesting,  fitting,  and  convincing  was  the  lo- 
cality of  the  ascension.  Approaching  Jerusalem  from  the 
Mediterranean  Sea  along  the  Joppa  road,  a  low  g'ray  ridge 
can  be  seen  beyond  the  city,  scarcely  overtopping  the 
massive  castle  of  David  and  the  higher  buildings  of  the 
holy  hill.  It  falls  away  toward  the  right,  revealing  the 
pale  blue  mountains  of  Moab  in  the  distant  background. 
This  low  ridge  beyond  Jerusalem  is  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
or  Mount  Olivet,  as  it  is  also  called. 

The    present   depressed   and    desolate    state    of    the 


THE  ASCENSION  OF  CHRIST.  S1& 

country  indicates  no  such  benignant  presence  of  the  su- 
pernatural as  blessed  the  home  of  Mary  and  Martha. 
Where  now  there  stand  a  few  olive-trees,  and  the  long 
ridge  is  barely  sprinkled  with  fig-trees,  other  taller  trees 
gave  a  rich  verdure  to  the  holy  highlands.  In  the  time 
of  Ezra  the  people  went  forth  unto  the  mount  to  fetch 
for  the  feast  of  tabernacles  "  pine  branches  and  myrtle 
branches  and  palm  branches  and  branches  of  thick 
trees."  The  "mountain  before  the  city"  was  the  pub- 
lic park  for  the  people  of  Jerusalem.  "  It  was  their  open 
ground  for  pleasure,  for  worship,  for  any  purpose  that  it 
might  serve." 

But  it  was  not  the  scenic  exhibition  of  Olivet  so  much 
as  the  sacred  associations  which  befitted  the  place  for 
this  crowning  incident  of  its  history. 

David,  before  the  temple  was  built,  was  wont  to  wor- 
ship at  the  top  of  the  mount.  And,  as  if  by  painful 
contrast,  he  climbed  up  the  same  mountain  on  his  flight 
from  Jerusalem  at  the  news  of  Absalom's  revolt ;  David 
fled  from  his  son,  Jesus  ascended  to  his  Father. 

It  was  over  this  mountain  Jesus  made  his  triumphant 
entry  into  the  holy  city.  At  another  time,  here  he, 
when  he  beheld  the  city,  wept  over  it.  It  was  from  a 
commanding  point  on  the  western  side  of  the  mountain 
that  he  predicted  the  final  overthrow  of  the  temple. 
Again,  after  the  institution  of  the  supper,  "  when  they 
had  sung  a  hymn,"  he  led  his  disciples  "  over  the  brook 
Cedron,"  "out  into  the  Mount  of  Olives"  to  a  garden 
called  Gethsemane. 


2S0  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

Moreover,  it  was  the  home  of  Jesus  when  he  was  at 
Jerusalem.  There  is  something  beautiful  in  the  tender 
and  pathetic  reference  to  his  associations  there — "  He 
led  them  out  as  far  as  to  Bethany." 

The  nature  of  the  ascension  is  evidence  of  the  fact 
of  the  ascension.  Jesus  simply  arose  from  the  earth 
to  go  into  the  heavens.  He  had  brought  his  body  from 
the  grave,  and  it  belonged  no  more  with  corruptible 
things.  It  was  not  subject  to  the  conditions  or  limita- 
tions of  the  earth.  To  go  away  was  all  that  remained 
to  be  done.  There  was  nowhere  else  to  go  but  into  the 
heavens. 

The  witnesses  of  the  ascension  were  not  deceived,  and 
could  not  be  deceivers.     They  were  the  friends  of  Jesus. 

It  accorded  with  their  faith  to  expect  that,  like  Enoch 
and  Elijah,  he  should  be  caught  up  in  the  air.  There  is 
nothing  in  the  narrative  to  express  either  their  surprise 
or  their  fear.  When  he  had  admonished  them  and  in- 
structed them  and  blessed  them  they  only  looked  stead- 
fastly toward  heaven  as  he  went  up. 

They  had  forsaken  him  and  fled  when  he  was  taken 
to  his  trial.  But  they  went  with  him  cheerfully  and 
with  great  expectations  now.  They  were  overcome  with 
their  sorrow  when  he  was  crucified.  But  now  they 
returned  to  Jerusalem  with  great  joy. 

The  angels  who  had  announced  his  birth  and  pro- 
claimed his  resurrection  were  present  to  confirm  his 
ascension. 

Saul,  when  he  had   fallen    in  his  way  to  Damascus, 


THE  ASCENSION   OF  CHRIST.  221 

heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying :  "  I  am  Jesus  whom 
thou  persecutest." 

Stephen,  when  permitted  to  answer  to  the  accusation 
of  blasphemy  in  his  apology,  uttered  in  the  very  article 
of  death,  said  :  **  Behold,  I  see  the  heavens  opened,  and 
the  Son  of  man  standing  on  the  right  hand  of  God." 
And  among  his  last  words  were  :  "  Lord  Jesus,  receive 
my  spirit." 

And  John,  from  the  isle  of  Patmos,  saw  in  the  midst 
of  the  seven  golden  candle-sticks  the  Son  of  man,  whom 
he  heard  saying  :  "  I  am  the  first  and  the  last :  I  am  he 
that  liveth,  and  was  dead  ;  and,  behold,  I  am  alive  for 
evermore.  Amen  ;  and  have  the  keys  of  hell  and  of 
death." 

So  also  the  Holy  Ghost,  whom  God  hath  sent,  is  a 
witness.  His  presence  in  the  hearts  of  men  is  the 
greatest  witness.  For,  every-where  present,  he  fulfills 
the  prophecy  of  Jesus  :  "  He  shall  testify  of  me."  If  Je- 
sus had  not  ascended  the  Holy  Spirit  would  not  be  here. 

2.  The  Doctrine.  The  ascension  of  Jesus  was  essen- 
tial to  the  plan  and  work  of  redemption.  There  could 
be  nothing  visionary  about  it ;  every  thing  must  be 
matter-of-fact. 

It  was  necessary  to  relate  again  the  work  which  Je- 
sus had  come  to  do  in  the  earth  with  the  world  from 
whence  he  came.  He  had  accomplished  a  virtual  re- 
demption. He  was  thenceforth  to  make  it  actual.  He 
willed  that  his  disciples  should  be  with  him  where  he  was. 
He  had  finished  his  work  here;  but  he  must  "go  and 


222  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

prepare  a  place  for  "  them,  "  come  again,"  and  "  receive  " 
them  unto  himself.  It  was  thus  he  brought  immortality 
to  light. 

It  was  prophesied  that  he  would  ascend  on  high,  lead 
captivity  captive,  and  receive  gifts  for  men.  He  himself 
had  foretold  that  he  should  go  away.  The  ascension  was 
the  fulfillment  of  prophecy  and  the  verification  of  his  own 
words. 

Without  the  ascension  the  world  could  not  have 
understood  him.  It  was  the  explanation  of  his  char- 
acter and  work  on  the  earth, 

Christianity  was  triumphant  at  the  ascension.  Sin  was 
mastered,  death  was  dead,  and  man  was  free. 

In  the  ascension  of  Jesus  there  was  given  to  all  be- 
lievers the  surety  of  their  ascension.  As  Frederick  Den- 
ison  Maurice  has  said  :  "  It  was  the  great  witness  and 
demonstration  to  them  that  they  were  spirits  having 
bodies,  that  they  were  not  bodies  into  which  a  certain 
ethereal  particle  called  spirits  was  infused."  They  were 
to  be  like  Jesus. 

The  heavens  are  now  the  pledge  of  another  advent  of 
the  Son  of  man.  The  body  of  Jesus  somewhere  gives 
locality  to  the  presence  of  Jesus.  His  ascension  is  pre- 
sumptive evidence  that  he  is  with  the  Father.  His 
Church  has  a  right  to  claim  him  as  the  ascended  Lord 
who  shall  come  again. 

3.  The  Results.  There  were  both  direct  and  indirect 
results  of  the  ascension.  And  they  were  so  related  and 
intervolved  as  to  connect  it  with  the  dispensation  and 


THE  ASCENSION  OF  CHRIST.  223 

entire  administration  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Tlie  ascension 
was  the  dividing  point  between  the  Gospel  and  the  apos- 
tolic histories.  It  concluded  the  one  and  introduced  the 
other. 

Jesus  had  lived  a  Jewish  peasant,  enduring  the  humili- 
ations of  poverty,  betrayal,  and  all  the  sufferings  conse- 
quent to  peril,  persecution,  and  death.  But  in  the  very 
act  of  separation  from  his  disciples  these  relations  and 
contingencies  are  all  changed.  The  peasant  becomes  a 
prince.  He  is  given  a  name  which  is  above  every  name. 
He  is  returned  to  the  honors  which  he  had  with  the 
Father  before  the  world  was. 

The  psalmist  tells  us,  "  He  received  gifts  for  men,  yea, 
for  the  rebellious  also,  that  the  Lord  God  might  dwell 
among  them."  He  obtained  a  more  excellent  ministry, 
and  at  once  became  the  mediator  of  the  New  Testament. 
The  spirit  of  prophecy  discerns  what  was  transacted  above 
the  cloud  ;  the  apostles  saw  what  took  place  this  side  of  it. 

The  last  act  of  Jesus  as  he  ascended  was  to  lift  up  his 
hands  and  bless.  In  the  very  sight  of  Gethsemane  and 
Calvary,  "  with  malice  toward  none  and  charity  for  all," 
he  went  away  blessing  the  cruel  world  which  had  re- 
ceived him  not,  and  dispensing  gifts  not  to  his  friends 
only,  but  to  the  rebellious  also. 

Of  the  great  gift,  in  which  all  other  gifts  are  in- 
cluded— the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  which  came  on  all 
men — we  are  all  witnesses  and  partakers. 

When  Jesus  ascended  he  gave  instruction.  His  words 
became  the  ministry  of  his  disciples,  who  were  to  wit- 


S2J!t  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

ness  to  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth,  "  The  ages  to 
come  were  now  privileged  to  know  him  better  than  those 
to  whom  he  spoke." 

To  the  faithful  work  of  the  ministry,  for  the  perfect- 
ing of  the  saints,  for  the  edifying  of  the  body  of  Christ, 
he  gave  some  apostles  and  some  prophets  and  some 
evangelists  and  some  pastors  and  teachers. 

The  indirect  influences  of  the  ascension  have  been  and 
are  multifarious  as  the  intellections  and  emotions  of  men. 
With  the  ascension  the  personal  element  of  the  Christ 
who  had  gone  about  doing  good  was  taken  from  the 
earth,  and  it  no  longer  excited  malefactors  to  persecute 
him.  Jesus  gained  honors  soon  in  the  city  which  had 
crucified  him,  and  by  the  Roman  government  he  was 
made  the  King  of  kings. 

His  disciples  were  exalted  with  him.  They  were 
raised  "  into  union  and  fellowship  with  a  higher  nature." 
They  were  "  continually  looking  up  to  him,  in  weakness 
and  dependence  leaning  upon  him,"  seeking  those  things 
which  were  above.  His  exaltation  had  become  the 
"  pattern-event  "  of  all  their  lives.  They  now  "  knew  a 
man  who  knew  God,"  and  was  God. 

The  Father  and  the  heavenly  world  were  brought 
nearer  and  made  dearer  to  the  children  of  men.  It  is 
now  the  aspiration  of  all  Christians  to  explore  with  the 
Son  of  man  the  heavenly  spaces.  The  expectation  grows 
apace  that  he  will  come  again.  Faith  even  is  impatient 
that  he  come  quickly.  "  Amen.  Even  so,  come.  Lord 
Jesus."  J.  W.  Hamilton. 


THE  DESCENT  OF   THE  SPIRIT.  225 


II. 

THE  DESCENT  OF  THE  SPIRIT. 

Acts  ii,  1-12. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— When  he,  the  Spirit  of  truth,  is  come,  he  will 
guide  you  into  all  truth.     John  xvi.  13. 

The  task  which  the  ascending  Lord  had  committed  to 
the  infant  Church  at  the  close  of  his  forty  days'  sojourn 
in  their  midst  was  one  of  extreme  difficulty  and  dis- 
couraging magnitude.  They  were  to  preach  a  crucified, 
risen,  and  ascended  Messiah  throughout  Judea,  Samaria, 
and  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth.  Even  when 
Jesus  was  still  with  them,  and  was  recognized  as  a 
miracle-worker  and  an  incomparable  teacher,  it  had  taxed 
their  fortitude  to  follow  him  through  these  provinces  ; 
but  what  would  it  be  to  retrace  their  steps  without  their 
Master  and  preach  his  Messiahship,  now  that  he  had  dis- 
appeared from  the  earth  ?  They  were,  indeed,  to  testify 
that  he  had  risen  from  the  dead  ;  but  who  would  believe 
their  report  ?  Would  the  priests,  who,  as  Sadducees,  de- 
nied the  existence  of  angel  and  spirit?  Would  the 
Pharisees  ?  Would  they  not  rather  cite  the  testimony 
of  the  soldiers,  who  affirmed  that  his  disciples  stole  their 
Master's  body  by  night?  And  could  they  gain  the  ear 
of  the  multitude  ?     Did  the  masses  hold  any  less  firmly 

than  ever  that  the  true  Messiah  must  be  a  visible  leader 
10* 


S26  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

and  commander  who  would  break  in  pieces  the  rod  of 
their  political  oppressors?  Would  not  the  preaching  of 
a  vanished  Messiah  be  to  the  Jewish  people  a  stumbling- 
block?  And  could  they  ever  carry  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth  a  message  which  had  been  rejected  at  home? 
Would  not  the  cross  prove  a  stumbling-block  to  the 
Jews  of  the  dispersion  also?  And  if  they  could  so  far 
overcome  their  aversion  to  the  Gentiles  as  to  preach  to 
them,  would  not  they,  too,  consider  the  doctrine  of  a 
risen  Messiah  as  foolishness  ?  The  disciples  had,  indeed, 
hoped  that  Jesus  would  redeem  Israel ;  but  what  outlook 
had  his  cause  now  but  certain  and  speedy  oblivion  ;  what 
prospect  had  they,  if  they  should  obey  his  last  command, 
but  prison  and  death  ?  Were  loyal  souls  ever  brought 
into  a  more  trying  position  ? 

Two  final  utterances  of  Jesus,  however,  somewhat  re- 
lieved the  rigor  of  the  situation.  The  one  was  a  com- 
mand, the  other  a  promise.  They  were  not  to  begin 
forthwith  the  work  which  would  doubtless  sooner  or  later 
bring  them  before  the  Sanhedrin  and  Gentile  tribunals. 
They  were  to  tarry  in  Jerusalem.  This  pause  which  was 
to  cover  several  days  was  doubly  welcome — it  put  off 
the  evil  day  and  afforded  opportunity  for  consultation, 
meditation,  and  prayer.  The  promise  was  that  at  the 
end  of  the  interval  they  should  receive  power  from  on 
high.  Vague  as  may  have  been  their  notions  concern- 
ing this  power  and  the  mode  of  its  impartation,  yet  the 
definite  assurance  that  it  should  soon  be  given  them 
was   peculiarly   comforting.      They  were  not  to  begin 


THE  DESCENT  OF   THE  SPIRIT.  227 

their  arduous  experiment  without  a  new  equipment  of 
strength. 

We  note  five  features  in  the  gift  of  power  which  the 
exalted  Lord  sent  upon  his  waiting  Church. 

I.  The  Gift  was  Supernatural.  The  sound  from  heav- 
en was  as  loud  as  that  of  whirlwind  or  cyclone,  but  it 
was  not  a  sound  produced  by  air  set  in  motion.  The 
tongues  of  fire  shone  and  glided  like  flame,  but  were  not 
flame.  The  disciples  spoke  with  tongues,  but  there  was 
something  behind  their  speaking  which  did  not  belong 
to  their  personality.  The  effect  produced  upon  the 
multitude  could  not  be  explained  by  ordinary  natural 
causes.  A  supernatural  factor  was  present.  The  mighty 
wind  rushing  down  from  heaven  was  the  outward  token 
of  a  personal  energy  immeasurably  greater  than  any 
which  belongs  to  man,  an  energy  coming  down  from 
God  to  man.  The  luminous  flame  about  their  foreheads, 
like  the  Shekinah  above  the  mercy-seat,  was  an  unmis- 
takable sign  of  the  supernatural  presence  of  the  living 
God. 

The  supernatural  force  began  at  once  to  work  within 
them.  The  promise  of  the  Golden  Text  was  fulfilled, 
and  they  were  led  into  new  truth.  The  incoming  Spirit 
intensified  and  illuminated  their  perceptions,  as  an  in- 
crease of  oxygen  brightens  the  flame  of  the  lime-light. 
Peter's  address,  which  immediately  follows,  shows  how 
the  Spirit  clarified  their  mental  vision.  They  understood 
the  Gospel  now  as  never  before.  They  saw  that  their 
Master  could  never  have  become,  as  they  had  hoped  he 


S28  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

would,  a  merely  political  deliverer  of  Israel ;  but  that  he 
had  been  exalted  to  the  right  hand  of  God  to  be  the 
Christ  and  Lord  of  the  whole  world.  They  compre- 
hended now  the  mysterious  title  which  John  the  Baptist 
had  given  him  when  he  spoke  of  him  as  the  Lamb  of 
God.  At  last  they  could  appreciate  the  necessity  and 
glory  of  the  death,  resurrection,  and  ascension  of  Israel's 
Messiah.  They  could  now  enthusiastically  preach  his 
Messiahship  in  Judea  and  Samaria  and  to  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  earth.  No  wonder  the  multitude  heard 
them  proclaiming  the  wonders  of  divine  grace.  No  won- 
der that  they  straightway  resolved  that  none  of  their 
number  should  suffer  from  want,  and  proceeded  to  divide 
their  goods  No  wonder  that  all  fear  of  persecution  for- 
sook them,  and  suffering  for  the  divine  Christ  was  re- 
garded in  the  light  of  privilege.  New  wisdom,  new  love, 
and  new  will-power  had  been  given  them  from  the  Spirit 
of  God.  The  residue  of  the  Book  of  the  Acts  is  taken 
up  with  the  sequel  of  this  supernatural  gift,  and  explains 
how  Christianity  spread  from  Jerusalem  to  Rome. 

Supernatural  aid  is  as  necessary  to  the  modern  as  it 
was  to  the  apostolic  Church.  Intelligence,  wealth,  num- 
bers, organization,  have  value  as  consecrated  instrumen- 
talities, but  the  indwelling  and  sanctifying  Spirit  is  the 
life-breath  of  the  Church. 

Above  every  Christian  congregation  must  tower  the 
pillar  of  fire ;  over  every  pulpit  the  Holy  Dove  must 
hover ;  in  every  religious  gathering  the  power  of  the  in- 
visible One  must   be  felt ;  in  every    closet  of  prayer  a 


THE  DESCENT  OF    THE   SPIRIT.  229 

burning  bush  must  be  discovered.  Without  the  abiding 
presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  Christian  Hfe  is  impossible. 

2.  The  Gift  was  Providential.  Unwittingly,  but  in 
God's  providence,  messengers  had  been  brought  to  Je- 
rusalem from  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  to  hear 
the  disciples'  testimony  concerning  Jesus.  They  were  a 
selected  class.  They  were  devout  men,  who  in  spite  of 
heathen  influences  at  home,  and  the  perils  and  cost 
of  travel,  had  returned  to  worship  at  the  seat  of  their 
ancestral  religion.  Doubtless  they  had  already  borne 
testimony  to  the  faith  of  Israel  before  their  heathen 
neighbors  by  their  patient  endurance  of  persecution  and 
their  proselyting  zeal.  By  their  life-long  acquaintance 
with  the  languages  and  customs  of  their  Gentile  neigh- 
bors, they  were  providentially  fitted  to  carry  the  Gospel 
to  them,  in  case  they  themselves  should  become  con- 
vinced of  its  divine  authority.  It  is  easy  to  see,  then, 
why  Christ  commanded  his  disciples  to  tarry  in  Jerusa- 
lem. These  selected  witnesses  were  to  carry  back  the 
news  of  Pentecost  and  the  new  gospel  message  to  hun- 
dreds of  scattered  Jewish  communities ;  thus  preparing 
the  way  for  the  twelve  and  for  the  apostle  Paul, 

God's  providence  always  co-operates  with  his  grace. 
In  the  solitary  desert  a  Philip  appears  for  the  instruction 
of  the  eunuch  ;  a  Peter  is  detained  in  a  neighboring 
city  to  open  the  gate  of  heaven  to  a  Cornelius ;  and 
every  Damascus  has  an  Ananias  waiting  to  unseal  the 
blinded  eyes  of  a  converted  Saul. 

It  is  therefore  never  in   vain   to  labor  in   the   Lord, 


2SQ  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

whether  in  season  or  out  of  season.  Our  heavenly  Fa- 
ther not  only  vouchsafes  a  supernatural  gift  to  work 
within,  but  also  sets  at  work  providential  forces  to  co- 
operate without. 

3.  The  Gift  Recognized  the  Individuality  of  the  Re- 
cipients. The  tongues  of  fire  were  divided  and  sat  upon 
each  of  the  one  hundred  and  twenty.  It  was  not  enough 
that  Peter,  great  as  he  was,  should  be  equipped  for 
work  ;  James  and  John  also  must  be  similarly  and  sepa- 
rately qualified.  And  not  the  pillar  apostles  only,  but  the 
other  nine  also  required  the  supernatural  gift.  Nor  were 
the  twelve  only,  in  God's  plan,  to  be  illumined  and  girded  ; 
the  five-score  and  eight  others  needed  and  claimed  the 
blessing.     All  of  God's  people  were  to  prophesy. 

Jesus  always  put  emphasis  on  the  experience  of  the 
person,  whether  he  talked  with  a  ruler  like  Nicodemus, 
or  with  the  sinful  woman  of  Samaria.  Paul  made  every 
thing  hinge  on  personal  faith  in  Christ.  Protestantism 
has  restored  to  the  individual  Christian  his  personal  ac- 
cess and  immediate  responsibility  to  Almighty  God. 
Methodism  has  taught  every  Christian  to  expect  the 
direct  testimony  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  his  own  salvation, 
and  to  watch  with  awe  and  gratitude  the  ways  of  God 
with  his  own  soul. 

The  miracle  of  Pentecost  shows  that  the  supernatural 
gift  is  necessary  to  the  completeness  of  the  human  soul. 
On  the  divine  side,  as  on  the  human,  it  is  not  good  for 
man  to  be  alone.  His  nature  is  as  truly  organized  for  a 
supernatural  element  as  is  the  eye  for  the  light  of  day. 


THE  DESCENT  OF   THE  SPIRIT.  231 

Made  in  the  image  of  God,  he  has  the  thoughts,  ques- 
tions, and  aspirations  of  one  who  is  but  little  lower  than 
the  angels.  He  cannot  satisfy  himself  with  effects ;  he 
inquires  into  causes.  He  demands  that  he  be  led  to 
the  pillars  on  which  the  whole  fabric  of  creation  rests. 
Unconsciously  he  walks  about  the  world  with  the  de- 
meanor of  a  proprietor.  He  was  obviously  made  from 
the  outset  to  live  and  move  and  have  his  being  in  God. 
No  man  can  realize  his  true  self  until,  like  the  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty,  he  is  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
divine  power. 

4.  The  Gift  Emphasized  the  Necessity  of  Unity.  It 
was  when  all  were  Avith  one  accord  in  one  place  that  the 
Spirit  descended.  While  their  common  dangers  and 
common  joys  drew  these  disciples  together,  yet  a  unity 
like  theirs  is  the  normal  condition  of  the  Church  in  all 
ages.  Christ  has  not  only  willed  that  every  believer 
should  be  supernaturally  joined  to  himself,  but  also  that 
he  should  be  mystically  united  to  the  Church  which  is 
his  body.  This  was  the  burden  of  his  great  passover 
prayer.  This  also  is  the  cardinal  thought  of  Paul's  Epis- 
tle to  the  Ephesians.  No  Christian  can  be  complete  in 
himself.  He  is,  as  Peter  taught,  a  living  stone  in  a 
spiritual  temple,  giving  and  receiving  strength  and  beauty. 
The  individual  needs  the  Church,  and  the  Church  needs 
the  individual.  This  age  of  democracy  ought  to  see 
such  a  truth  more  clearly  than  any  preceding  one. 

The  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  will  not  descend  upon 
a  divided  Church.     It  is  the  whole  and   homogeneous 


S32  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

lens  that  brings  the  distant  heavens  near,  and  not  its 
shattered  fragments.  The  chosen  instrument  for  the 
conquest  of  the  world  is  a  Church  as  closely  knit  together 
as  were  the  one  hundred  and  twenty  when  the  Holy 
Ghost  fell  upon  them.  The  Macedonian  phalanx  be- 
came the  means  with  which  Alexander  humbled  the 
East.  A  united  Church  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  will 
yet  humble  East  and  West. 

5.  The  Gift  was  the  Reward  of  their  Faith.  The  dis- 
ciples waited  for  the  supernatural  gift  which  had  been 
promised.  They  did  not  know  when  it  would  come, 
what  it  would  be,  nor  how  it  would  fit  them  for  their 
forbidding  task,  but  they  did  know  who  had  promised 
the  gift  to  them.  Jesus  had  told  them  that  in  their 
Galilean  mission  diseases  and  evil  spirits  would  be  sub- 
ject to  them  ;  and  they  found  it  so.  He  had  bidden 
Jairus,  the  widow  of  Nain,  and  Martha  to  be  of  good 
cheer  concerning  their  dead  ;  and  in  very  deed  their  dead 
came  to  life.  He  had  uttered  the  astounding  prophecy 
that  he  himself  should  be  killed,  and  should  rise  the 
third  day ;  and  it  had  been  so.  When,  therefore,  he  said 
that  after  the  lapse  of  not  many  days  power  should  come 
upon  them,  we  see  that  they  could  feel  sure  this 
would  come  to  pass.  As  a  supernatural  person  he  had 
supernatural  knowledge  and  power;  hence  his  promise 
of  a  supernatural  gift  could  not  be  thought  misleading. 
That  was  faith.  Faith  reasons.  It  makes  the  known 
reveal  the  unknown.  Like  an  astronomer  who  requires 
only  three  clear  observations  to  compute  the  mightiest 


THE  DESCENT  OF    THE  SPIRIT.  SSS 

celestial  orbit,  faith  discovers  in  religious  experience  prin- 
ciples which  encompass  the  throne  of  God. 

To  do  Christ's  will  without  supernatural  aid  is  as  im- 
possible now  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  the  apostles.  Spirit- 
ual things  are  still  spiritually  discerned  ;  the  world  is 
still  unreconciled  to  God ;  the  carnal  mind  still  at  enmity 
with  God ;  and  principalities  and  powers  are  still  to  be 
wrestled  with.  The  armor  of  God  and  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit  are  not  antiquated.  We  can  never  go  to  our 
Judeas  and  Samarias  without  power  from  on  high. 

Faith  was  the  condition  of  supernatural  power — that 
should  be  laid  to  heart.  Faith  is  the  metal  point  which 
draws  down  the  celestial  fire.  Faith  discovers  in  what 
God  has  already  been  yet  greater  possibilities  of  grace 
and  power. 

Marcus  D.  Buell. 


BOSTON  HOMILIES, 


III. 
THE   FIRST   CHRISTIAN   CHURCH. 

Acts  ii,  37-47< 

GOLDEN    TEXT.— The  Lord  added  to  the  church  daily  such  as 
should  be  saved.     Acts  ii,  47. 

This  is  fascinating  history.  It  is  the  account  of  the 
first  sermon  and  first  day  of  the  Christian  Church.  The 
occasion  was  exciting.  Peter  had  denied  the  charge  of 
intoxication  by  making  a  specific  counter-charge.  His 
sermon  was  a  good  one,  well  preached.  It  was  true, 
scriptural,  brave,  pointed.  It  was  specific,  not  general. 
Peter  spoke  the  truth  in  love  ;  tenderness  tempered  his 
boldness ;  the  Holy  Ghost  accompanied  the  preaching ; 
the  hearing  was  pentecostal.  That  is  quite  as  essential  as 
Pentecostal  preaching.  The  people  listened  ;  the  Holy 
Ghost  made  effective  the  word.  The  people  "  were 
pricked  in  their  heart."  It  was  a  sharp  pain  such  as 
remorse  causes.  They  asked  a  pointed  personal  ques- 
tion. There  were  no  inquiries  as  to  the  sermon.  The 
question  was,  "  What  shall  we  do  ?  "  The  people  even 
call  these  supposed  drunkards  by  a  new  name — "  breth- 
ren." In  the  Christian  system  there  is  always  some- 
thing after  conviction.  Christianity  has  a  message  after 
the  doctrine  that  men  are  sinners.  Peter  was  not  a 
trained  theologian,  but  he  knew  what  to  tell  those  con- 


THE  FIRST  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  235 

victed  inquirers.  Some  great  preachers  are  helpless  in 
an  inquiry-room.  Peter's  sermon  had  been  powerful. 
His  instruction  was  very  plain  :  "  Repent,  change  your 
attitude  to  Jesus  Christ,  turn  about ;  be  baptized,  not  one 
of  you  for  the  entire  party,  but  every  one  of  you."  Does 
baptism  save  ?  Not  at  all.  Christ  saves.  Baptism  is 
the  sign  of  the  faith  that  takes  Christ  to  be  the  Saviour 
from  sin  just  repented  of.  The  repentant,  believing 
man  should  be  baptized. 

Christianity  has  a  promise  to  offer.  The  Holy  Ghost 
has  descended  upon  Peter.  Now,  upon  the  authority 
of  the  word,  which  they  have  rejected  in  the  case  of 
Jesus,  he  promises  this  gift  to  these  penitent  murderers, 
to  their  posterity,  and  to  their  scattered  brethren.  He 
was  not  thinking  of  the  Gentiles.  The  promise  was 
larger  than  he  knew. 

Peter  was  an  exhorter.  The  people  were  ready  to 
move.  They  might  not  be  ready  to-morrow.  The  per- 
sonal appeal  is  made  on  the  spot :  "  Save  yourselves." 
They  did.  As  Peter  saw  the  multitudes  coming  he 
must  have  remembered  the  early  morning  when  he  drew 
in  a  full  net  and  heard  the  promise,  '*  From  henceforth 
thou  shalt  catch  men."  Arnot  makes  this  beautiful 
comment  on  verse  41  : 

"  In  order  to  understand  how  they  received  the  word 
'  gladly,'  we  must  remember  that  they  had  been  '  pricked 
to  the  heart.'  They  had  been  wounded,  and  now  the 
healing  is  grateful.  A  little  religion  is  a  painful  thing,  but 
more  religion  takes  the  pain  away.     The  word  is  both  a 


S36  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

hammer  to  break  the  rock  and  a  balm  to  heal  the  broken 
heart.  Its  first  effect  is  to  convince  a  sinner  that  he  is 
lost ;  its  next,  to  make  him  rejoice  in  his  Saviour." 

How  were  those  three  thousand  baptized  ?  Nobody- 
knows  certainly.  President  Woolsey  says  that  the  ab- 
sence of  helpers  and  conveniences,  if  not  of  water,  must 
have  prevented  the  immersion  of  the  entire  body. 
Canon  Cook  says  there  was  a  great  scarcity  of  water, 
and  that  the  twelve  must  have  baptized  two  hundred 
and  fifty  each — an  impossibility. 

On  the  other  hand,  a  Baptist  authority  declares  that 
there  were  some  of  the  seventy  present,  and  plenty  of 
water  in  and  about  Jerusalem.  Chrysostom  and  his  pres- 
byters baptized  by  immersion  about  three  thousand 
persons  in  a  single  day  in  the  year  404.  It  will  be  easy 
to  waste  the  hour  discussing  this  old  question.  They 
were  baptized  and  added  to  the  Church.  Methodism 
insists  upon  the  thing — especially  upon  the  spirit — and 
allows  the  largest  liberty  as  to  method.  Christ  com- 
mands baptism.  He  does  not  prescribe  the  amount  of 
water  or  method  of  application. 

The  great  ingathering  is  sometimes  pointed  to  as  a 
sign  that  those  were  better  days  than  these.  The  re- 
mark sometimes  takes  the  form  of  a  sneer.  "  Under 
Peter's  one  sermon  three  thousand  were  converted  ;  under 
three  thousand  sermons  now  one  is  converted."  Read- 
ers of  Paul's  sermon  at  Mars'  Hill  might  make  the  sneer 
against  Paul.  It  did  not  have  any  such  result.  "  Some 
mocked  ;  but  others  said,  We  will  hear  thee  again,"  and 


THE  FIRST  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  S37 

a  limited  number — only  two  of  them  being  named — be- 
lieved. The  truth  is  that  the  sneer  is  very  unfair.  Every 
circumstance  attending  Pentecost  was  exceptional.  The 
gift  of  tongues  might  as  wisely  be  looked  for  every  time 
as  the  conversion  of  such  a  multitude. 

These  converts  were  well  treated.  They  were  "  babes  in 
Christ."  They  needed  instruction  and  care.  So,  as  Meyer 
says,  "  They  were  perseveringly  devoted  to  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  apostles — constantly  intent  upon  having  them- 
selves instructed  by  the  apostles."  New  converts  must 
not  be  left  to  themselves.  Teaching  follows  baptism  and 
conversion.  Training  in  the  Scriptures  and  the  doctrines 
and  principles  of  the  kingdom  is  the  privilege  of  a  new 
convert.  The  early  Church  set  the  modern  Church  a  good 
example  in  this  regard.  Many  of  these  new  converts 
lived  in  other  towns.  They  were  to  be  missionaries. 
This  was  the  time  of  their  preparation  and  training. 
Baptized,  forgiven,  and  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  as  they 
were,  they  still  needed  this  season  of  study,  prayer,  and 
fellowship  with  the  older  Christians.  He  who  is  to  teach 
must  first  be  taught.  When  these  were  scattered  abroad 
they  had  a  message. 

The  whole  thing  was  so  unusual,  so  striking,  so  mani- 
festly marked  by  the  presence  of  the  supernatural,  that 
fear  came  upon  the  multitudes. 

The  fear  does  not  seem  to  have  come  upon  the  be- 
lievers. A  most  astonishing  display  of  supernatural 
power  had  taken  place.  Men  in  sin  are  afraid  of  super- 
natural displays.     Adam  was  afraid  of  God  after  his  fall. 


238  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

The  shepherds  were  frightened  when  the  angels  sang. 
Sin  causes  fear.  Miracles  make  evil  men  tremble  at  the 
thought  that  God  is  present.  The  perfect  man  had  no 
fear  in  the  presence  of  a  supernatural  display.  Christ 
never  was  afraid.  The  perfect  relation  will  be  free  from 
fear.     Read  what  John  says  about  it   (i  John  iv,  i8). 

What  about  this  so-called  communism  in  the  early 
Church  ?  What  was  it  in  nature  and  extent  ?  The  pas- 
sage describing  the  community  of  goods  is  critical.  So- 
cial reformers,  not  always  Christian,  point  to  this  as  the 
ideal  state  from  which  the  Church  has  wandered.  For 
not  practicing  this  custom  the  Church  has  sometimes 
been  roundly  abused  as  being  unapostolic  and  unchris- 
tian. Let  us  see  what  we  may  reasonably  infer  from 
this  incident.  Chapter  iv,  32-37,  and  v,  i-il,  must  be 
read  in  connection  with  the  lesson.  These  points  appear 
upon  investigation : 

I.  The  arrangement  was  purely  voluntary.  What  any 
man  put  in  was  still  his.  The  sin  of  Ananias  was 
not  that  he  had  kept  back  a  portion  of  his  estate  by 
fraud,  but  that  he  lied  about  it.  It  was  still  in  his  power 
after  the  sale  as  before.  The  community  of  property 
flowed    out   of  the    new    spiritual    life.      (See    Acts    iv, 

32-37-) 

"  In  point  of  fact,  their  experiment  was  simply  the 
assertion  of  the  right  of  every  man  to  do  as  he  chooses 
with  his  own  ;  and  they  chose  to  live  together  and  help 
each  other.  It  was  a  fraternal  stock  company  for  mutual 
aid  and  protection.     No  man  was  bound  to  come  into 


THE  FIRST  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  SS9 

into  it  unless  he  wished  ;  but  if  he  did  come  in,  he  was 
bound  to  act  honestly." 

2.  It  was  a  spiritual  result,  and  not  a  social  experi- 
ment. It  cannot  be  explained  except  on  the  spiritual 
basis.  It  must  be  studied  in  its  true  setting.  Writers 
have  tried  to  show  that  it  was  borrowed  from  a  custom 
of  the  Essenes.  Others  have  attempted  to  establish  a 
connection  between  this  and  Plato's  ideal  state.  The 
practice  of  the  Essenes  would  scarcely  attract  the  notice 
of  these  people,  while  the  ideal  state  of  Plato  included 
a  community  of  wives. 

The  Brook  Farm,  "  Utopia,"  and  all  kindred  institu- 
tions have  been  social  experiments.  Bellamy's  "  Look- 
ing Backward  "  Society  is  allied  with  them.  They  have 
arisen  for  lack  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  sprung  up 
spontaneously  because  of  Pentecost.  Says  Lightfoot  : 
"  The  reasonable  explanation  is  that  we  have  an  inde- 
pendent attempt  to  realize  the  idea  of  brotherhood — 
an  attempt  which  naturally  suggested  itself  without  any 
direct  imitation." 

3.  The  community  of  goods  seems  to  have  been  a  com- 
munity of  use,  not  ownership.  Nobody  said  that  aught 
that  he  possessed  was  his  own.  They  were  of  one  heart. 
They  were  perfectly  united.  The  circumstances  were 
peculiar.  Many  of  the  people  were  away  from  home. 
All  had  to  be  cared  for.  No  one  should  suffer.  So  they 
put  their  possessions  together — "pooled  their  issues," 
as  we  say — and  all  shared  alike. 

4.  The  plan  was  local.     Jerusalem  was  the  only  city 


21fi  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

where  it  was  tried.  No  trace  of  it  is  to  be  found  in  any 
other  church.  It  is  not  urged  upon  any  other  church, 
as  an  example  to  be  followed.  No  other  church  adopt- 
ed it.  It  evidently  did  not  commend  itself  to  other 
churches  as  a  wise  plan.  The  other  churches  took  up 
collections  just  as  now  when  a  case  of  need  was  present- 
ed.   (See  I  Cor  xvi,  2 ;  2  Cor.  ix,  6,  7.) 

5.  //  %vas  temporary.  It  lasted  while  the  circum- 
stances in  which  it  arose  continued.  A  great  crowd  of 
new  converts — many  of  them  away  from  home — were  in 
training,  applying  themselves  to  the  instruction  of  the 
apostles.  When  they  scattered  the  community  of  goods 
apparently  ceased.  Exactly  how  long  it  lasted  is  not 
clear,  but  it  evidently  was  not  continued  very  long. 
Paul  never  inculcates  it.  He  does  not  refer  to  it  as  an 
institution  existing  when  he  wrote  his  letters.  All  his 
allusions  to  the  condition  of  the  rich  and  poor  can  be 
easily  understood  by  us. 

6.  It  did  not  relieve  poverty.  It  was  not  devised  for 
that  purpose.  Many  writers  insist  upon  seeing  a  close 
connection  between  this  incident  and  the  subsequent 
poverty  in  Jerusalem.  Thus  Meyer:  "And  this  com- 
munity of  goods  at  Jerusalem  helps  to  explain  the  great 
and  general  poverty  of  that  church.  It  is  probable  that 
the  apostles  were  prevented  by  the  very  experience  ac- 
quired in  Jerusalem  from  advising  or  introducing  it  else- 
where." 

Thus  Gulliver:  "  Under  such  sublime  inspirations  it 
is  easy  to  see  that  a  communism,  impossible  to  ordinary 


THE  FIRST  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  21^1 

human  nature,  might  temporarily  flourish.  But  it  is  as 
easy  to  see  that  it  would  gradually  settle  to  the  level  of 
ordinary  motive,  and  would  be  subjected  to  the  disturb- 
ances of  inevitable  inequalities  in  capacity  and  industry, 
as  well  as  in  piety.  The  Plymouth  Pilgrims  were,  per- 
haps, the  most  single-minded  men  of  modern  times. 
Yet  it  was  not  till  the  community  of  lands  and  goods 
which  obtained  in  the  early  years  of  their  settlement 
gave  place  to  farms  in  severalty,  and  to  private  property 
protected  by  law,  that  the  annually  recurring  danger  of 
absolute  starvation  in  their  colony  disappeared.  The 
lesson  of  such  a  history  is,  therefore,  not  solely  the  lesson 
of  Christian  consecration.  It  includes  the  utility  and 
the  sacredness  of  the  personal  control  of  property.  It 
places  before  us  the  problem  of  combining  the  largest 
Christian  benevolence  with  the  strict  maintenance  of 
proprietary  rights." 

7.  It  was  not  modern  communism.  Says  Gerok :  "  That 
Christian  communism  said,  '  All  that  is  mine  is  thine  ;  * 
the  unchristian  communism  of  our  day  says,  *  All  that  is 
thine  is  mine.'  That  holy  community  of  goods  pro- 
ceeded from  love  to  the  poor ;  but  that  which  is  now 
proclaimed  is  the  result  of  a  hatred  to  the  rich." 

And  Van  Dyke  :  "  Of  late  years  the  communistic  doc- 
trine has  begun  to  present  itself  in  another  shape.  It 
has  laid  aside  the  red  cap  and  put  on  the  white  cravat. 
It  invites  serious  and  polite  inquiry.  It  quotes  Script- 
ure and  claims  to  be  the  friend,  the    near  relative,  of 

Christianity.      So  altered  is  its  aspect  that  preachers  of 
11 


21f2  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

religion  arc  discovering  that  it  has  good  points,  and  pat- 
ting it  on  the  back  somewhat  timidly,  as  one  might  pat 
a  converted  wolf  who  had  offered  his  services  as  watch- 
dog. They  are  careful  to  disown  any  sympathy  with  the 
old  unregenerate,  bloody  communism.  Its  method  and 
its  spirit  were  violent  and  unjustifiable.  But,  perhaps, 
after  all,  its  fundamental  principle  was  right.  Perhaps 
our  institution  of  private  property  contradicts  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Bible,  and  ought  to  be  abolished,  wholly  or 
partially,  to  make  room  for  something  better  and  more 
truly  Christian. 

"There  is  a  fundamental  and  absolute  difference  be- 
tween the  doctrine  of  the  Bible  and  the  doctrine  of  the 
communizer.  For  the  Bible  tells  me  that  I  must  deal 
my  bread  to  the  hungry  ;  while  the  communizer  tells 
the  hungry  that  he  may  take  it  for  himself,  and  if  he 
begins  with  bread  there  is  no  reason  why  he  should  draw 
the  line  at  cake.  The  Bible  teaches  that  envy  is  a  sin ; 
the  communizer  declares  that  it  is  the  new  virtue  which 
is  to  regenerate  society.  The  communizer  maintains  that 
every  man  who  is  born  has  a  right  to  live  ;  but  the  Bible 
says  that  if  a  man  will  not  work  neither  shall  he  eat  ; 
and  without  eating  life  is  difficult.  The  communizer 
holds  up  equality  of  condition  as  the  ideal  of  Christian- 
ity; but  Christ  never  mentions  it.  He  tells  us  that  we 
shall  have  the  poor  always  with  us,  and  charges  us  never 
to  forget,  despise,  or  neglect  them.  Christianity  requires 
two  things  from  every  man  that  believes  in  it :  first,  to 
acquire  his  property  by  just  and  righteous  means ;  and, 


THE  FIRST  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  21,3 

secondly,  to  'look  not  only  on  his  own  things,  but  also 
on  the  things  of  others.'  " 

And  thus  this  first  Church  was  characterized  by  pun- 
gent Pentecostal  preaching;  acute,  active  hearing,  hearty 
repentance  and  true  faith ;  diligent,  inquiring  disciple- 
ship  ;  apt  apostolic  teaching ;  true  Christian  fellowship, 
practical,  voluntary,  self-denying  brotherhood  ;  earnest 
praise ;  favor  with  the  people ;  daily  conversions  and 
daily  additions  of  the  saved. 

William  F.  McDowell. 


2U  BOSTON  HOMILIES, 


IV. 

THE  LAME  MAN  HEALED. 

Acts  iii,  1-16. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— And  his  name,  through  faith  in  his  nanne,  hath 
made  this  nnan  strong.     Acts  iii,  16. 

Two  men — Peter  and  John — Christians,  going  together 
into  the  Jewish  Temple  to  pray,  and  that  just  after  the 
inspirations  and  ecstacies  of  Pentecost;  preachers,  yet 
penniless,  though  they  had  first  chance  at  the  bag  in 
which  all  had  just  been  cast  in  common — this  is  the 
opening  picture  of  the  lesson  before  us.  Is  it  drawn 
true  to  nature  ?  No,  not  to  human  nature,  but  it  is  true 
to  the  Christ  nature. 

I.  The  Companions.  This  first  verse  reveals,  as  by  a 
flash-light,  the  spirit  of  these  companions.  Peter  and  John 
together.  What  antipodes  !  Peter,  impulsive,  bold,  ener- 
getic, daring;  John,  meditative,  timid,  loving,  trustful. 
What  ground  in  nature  for  fellowship  between  them  ? 
Yet,  like  Luther  and  Melanchthon  in  the  crisis  of  a  later 
age,  they  were  joined  in  the  strength  and  beauty  of  a 
friendship  in  Christ  that  gave  to  each  supplemental  grace 
and  energy.  Of  all  the  disciples,  the  Acts  reveals  them 
as  closest  together.  It  took  the  passion  and  resurrection- 
week  experiences  with  Christ  and  Pentecost  combined, 
to  draw  Peter  and  John  into  this  unity  of  life  and  work. 


THE  XAME  MAN  HEALED.  S45 

"  Going  up  into  the  temple,'"  though  the  vail  had  been 
rent  and  the  lesson  of  the  spirituality  and  universality  of 
worship  had  been  taught  them  !  But  were  they  not  yet 
Jews?  Was  not  this  still  the  "house  of  prayer,"  the 
spot  forever  consecrated  by  their  God  when  he  said,  "  I 
have  hallowed  this  place  to  put  my  name  there  forever?" 
Peter  and  John  had  reverence  for  sacred  places — that 
reverence  which  is  a  mark  of  depth  and  spirituality  in 
the  religious  life. 

"  Their  heart  was  full  of  awe 

And  reverence  for  all  sacred  things ; 

And  brooding  over  form  and  law 
They  saw  the  Spirit's  wings." 

These  early  disciples  did  not  spurn  religious  custom, 
though  it  was  a  custom  of  a  decadent  Jewish  Church. 
To  their  devout  souls  history  and  sacred  associations 
meant  something.  Character  that  is  strong  has  roots. 
These  grow  deep  and  take  hold  of  institutions  represent- 
ing thought  and  life  and  history.  Luther  was  loth  to 
leave  the  old  Catholic  Church,  Romanized  and  corrupt 
as  it  was.  Wesley  always  clung  to  the  Church  of  En- 
gland. Superstition  you  may  call  this  clinging  to  the 
venerable  and  historic.  Well,  if  the  choice  is  between 
irreverence  and  superstition,  give  me  superstition.  Irrev- 
erence weakens  conscience  and  blunts  the  spiritual  edge 
of  character.  Superstition,  as  the  devout  Neander  has 
well  said,  often  paves  the  way  to  faith.  God's  plan  was 
not  to  obliterate  Judaism  at  a  stroke,  but  to  transform 
it.     The  new  corn  of  the  kingdom  only  gradually  burst 


24iS  BOS  TO  A  HOMILIES. 

and  sloughed  off  the  husk  of  Judaism,  that  venerable  and 
sacred  repository  of  divine  truth.  "  Going  up  into  the 
temple,"  then,  is  in  the  spirit  of  Christ. 

'■'At  the  hour  of  prayer''  went  these  devout  men.  But 
what  need  had  they  for  prayer,  just  fresh  from  the  open 
revelation  and  spiritual  excitement  of  Pentecost  ?  with 
hearts  all  ablaze  with  the  sacred  fire,  and  ears  yet  tingling 
with  the  sound  "  from  heaven  as  of  a  rushing  mighty 
wind  ?  "  By  this  act  they  teach  that  prayer  is  apostolic  ; 
that  special  seasons  of  illumination  and  sanctification  are 
a  special  call  to  prayer.  Though  men  may  not  need  more 
fire,  yet  need  they  more  grace.  Religion  means  daily 
duty,  not  occasional  ecstasy.  Such  illumination  is  the 
occasion  of  temptation — temptation  for  one  thing,  to 
spiritual  pride  and  presumption.  David  was  wise  when 
in  an  hour  of  high  visitation  from  the  living  God  he 
prayed  :  Lord,  keep  thy  servant  from  being  presumptu- 
ous. "  Suspect  any  inspiration  that  makes  you  con- 
temptuous of  ordinary  religious  duties."  After  your 
Pentecost  be  found  "  going  up  into  the  temple  at  the 
hour  of  prayer." 

2.  The  Cripple.  How  often  is  the  hour  of  prayer  the  hour 
of  opportunity.  It  was  so  now,  for  they  met  ".4  man^ 
lame,  at  the  door  of  t lie  temple  called  Beautiful.''  He  was 
carried  to  the  proper  place,  this  wizened  cripple  of  forty 
years.  The  Church  stands  in  Christ's  stead.  It  is  the 
place  for  the  poor  and  lame  and  stricken  ones  to  come. 
If  they  cannot  come — not  to  be  put  to  shame  by  those 
old-time  Jews — let  Christians   carry  them,  not  to  some 


THE  LAME  MAN  HEALED.  SJfl 

clapboarded  mission  station,  but  "  to  the  door  of  the 
temple  called  Beautiful."  "  The  poor  ye  have  always 
with  you,"  should  ever  be  true  of  the  Church  of  Christ. 

''He  asked  an  abns,  expecting  to  receive  some  thing.'' 
How  like  other  poor  mortals,  weak  of  faith,  asking  for 
things  when  in  the  open  palms  of  Omnipotence  there  is 
life  and  principalities  and  powers  all  for  the  asking.  Yet 
still  we  ask  for  mere  things  of  him  who  is  "  able  to  do 
exceeding  abundantly  above  all  that  we  ask  or  think, 
according  to  the  pozver  that  zuorketh  in  us.'' 

What  amazement  strikes  us  when  God,  above  our  ask- 
ing, gives  us  life  and  power  instead  of  the  mere  things 
for  which  we  pray. 

3.  The  Cure.  "  Btit  Peter  said."  Did  not  stop  to  the- 
orize, as  once  before  at  a  door  of  this  same  Temple 
the  disciples  did  in  the  presence  of  a  blind  beggar,  ap- 
parently more  interested  in  the  theory  of  blindness  and 
the  problem  of  evil  than  in  those  sightless  eyeballs  glar- 
ing appealingly  toward  the  Light  of  the  world.  Peter 
was  more  of  a  pastor  now  ;  a  curate,  with  sympathy  and 
love,  whose  touch  of  faith  meant  the  cure  of  sin-stricken 
souls  and  bodies. 

"■Silver  and  gold  have  I  none."  What!  "All  things 
in  common,"  and  the  preacher  with  empty  purse  and 
silverless  hand  !  It  would  seem  that  he  would  get  his 
share.  Surely,  then,  this  apostolic  communion  was  no 
"  priest's  trick ;  it  was  no  attempt  to  enrich  the  apostolate 
at  the  expense  of  the  Christian  public."  Penniless  were 
these  apostles,  but  not  powerless.     The  day  of  poverty 


S4S  /BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

in  the  Church  was  the  day  of  power.  How  often  since 
has  the  opposite  been  only  too  true.  The  age  of  wealth 
in  the  Church — the  age  of  weakness  !  There  is  deep  his- 
toric truth  as  well  as  keen  repartee  in  the  reply  of  Thomas 
Aquinas  to  Pope  Clement  IV.  When  seated  together 
as  great  quantities  of  gold  and  silver  were  being  carried 
into  the  Vatican  treasury,  the  pope  proudly  remarked : 
"You  see  the  Church  no  longer  has  to  say,  'Silver  and 
gold  have  I  none !  '  "  "  Yes,"  replied  the  saintly  Aqui- 
nas, "  and  she  can  no  longer  say  with  Peter  to  the  par- 
alytic, '  In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Nazareth,  rise  up 
and  walk  I '  " 

'■'■  Such  as  I  have  give  I  thee y  This  is  the  law  of  the 
Christian  life — give.  There  is  no  exception.  Every 
man  has  something.  He  has  himself,  a  self  not  his  own, 
but  bought  with  a  price  for  higher  service.  What  the 
Master  wants  is  not  your  "  silver  and  gold  "  merely,  he 
wants  you.  Your  possessions  are  a  mere  incident  that 
go  with  the  purchase,  as  the  strings  thrown  in  with  the 
bundle  by  the  shopman. 

"  SiicJi  as  I  have."  This  was  only  a  hand,  yet  a  hand  with 
a  heart  in  it  and  faith  behind  it.  It  was  human  to  say, 
"  Look  up ;  "  it  was  divipe  to  stretch  out  a  hand  to  "  lift 
up."  He  stretched  forth  a  hand  of  sympathy  and  power  ; 
a  hand  linked  to  a  soul  through  which  Omnipotence 
could  flow  as  through  the  wire  flash  the  power  and  heat 
of  the  electric  fluid.  Faith  gave  connection  with  the 
original  plant  of  "  all  power  given  in  heaven  or  on  earth." 

''He  took  him  by  the  hand."     "We  need  the  touch  of 


THE  LAME  MAN  HEALED.  SJ^Q 

Christ's  hand  upon  our  literature,"  wrote  Mrs.  Browning. 
Yes,  and  more  ;  we  need  the  touch  of  Christ's  hand  upon 
humanity — poor,  crippled,  sin-paralyzed  humanity — that 
men  and  women,  "  lifted  up  "  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  may 
leap  up  and  walk  and  enter  into  the  Temple  praising 
God.  This  is  the  lesson  for  charity  and  mission  work. 
Silver  and  gold  are  not  enough.  Hand  and  heart  are 
needed.  Gold  may  ease  the  body,  but  it  cannot  heal 
the  broken  heart  and  crippled  soul.  Personal  touch  can 
alone  lift  up  and  transform. 

"  In  vain  ye  fling  alms  at  the  rags  that  ye  meet, 
While  souls  lie  bleeding  and  crushed  at  your  feet." 

Go  to  them.  Give  them  thy  hand,  these  victims  of 
heredity,  often  foredoomed  to  spiritual  paralysis  from 
their  mother's  womb.  Is  the  Church  to  be,  indeed,  the 
**  body  of  Christ  ?  "  Then  let  it  be  the  feet  of  Christ  go- 
ing out  into  the  highways  and  hedges  to  carry  the  lame 
ones  in.  Let  it  be  the  ears  of  Christ,  responsive  to  every 
wail  of  distress.  Let  it  be  the  eyes  of  Christ,  looking 
with  tearful  tenderness  on  all.  Let  it  be  the  hand  of 
Christ,  stretched  forth  to  uplift,  to  heal,  to  redeem. 

4.  The  Crowd.  ''■All  the  people  saw  him  .  .  .  were 
filled  with  wonder  and  amazcnie7it,  .  .  .  and  ran  together T 
You  see  the  picture.  It  fairly  breathes  with  life  even 
on  the  printed  page.  It  is  from  an  eye-witness.  What 
graphic  touches  in  the  description  !  The  lame  man — 
borti  lame — feels  the  thrill  of  life  like  electric  fire  sweep- 
ing along  his  nerves  as  he  is  "raised  up."  Faith,  re- 
11* 


S50  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

sponslve  to  the  word,  makes  for  power.  How  strange 
and  sudden  it  all  is,  as  "  immediately  "  his  feet  and  his 
ankle-bones,  so  pulseless  and  dead,  a  limp  and  strength- 
less  burden  from  birth,  **  received  strength."  Intoxi- 
cated with  the  new  life,  "  leaping  up,  he  stood,"  and, 
with  unhesitating  faith  in  his  new-found  strength,  "  he 
began  to  walk."  And  in  grateful  consecration  of  his  re- 
newed powers  "  he  entered  with  them  into  the  Temple." 
Not  home  to  his  kinsfolk  did  he  go,  nor  to  show  himself 
on  the  crowded  streets ;  but  with  the  apostles  he  went 
into  the  Temple  "  praising  God."  He  acts  as  people  did 
at  Pentecost,  filled  with  new  wine.  Yes,  the  wine  of  life 
filled  his  body;  the  Spirit  of  God  filled  his  soul. 

The  people  ran  and  were  beside  themselves  with 
amazement.  There  could  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  man. 
Every  body  knew  the  cripple  for  all  these  weary  years 
crouched  at  the  door.  No  one  could  gainsay  the  cure 
wrought  before  their  very  eyes.  Performed  not  for  spec- 
tacular display,  but  in  response  to  a  need,  the  miracle 
was  a  demonstration.  Men  may  answer  argument  and 
play  with  the  forms  of  logic,  but  in  the  presence  of  mi- 
raculous love  and  mercy  they  are  dumb  as  they  see  that 
"  the  lame  walk,  the  blind  see,  and  the  poor  have  the 
Gospel  preached  unto  them." 

5.  The  Preacher.  "  When  Peter  sazu  it  he  answer ed^ 
Peter  saw  it — not  the  crowd,  but  his  opportunity;  he 
seized  it ;  occupied  it.  It  was  one  of  those  rare  oppor- 
tunities that  come  of  providence  to  the  preacher.  And 
here  we  find  Peter  not  only  a  pastor — a  cur^  with  the 


THE  LAME  MAN  HEALED.  251 

healing  touch;  he  is  a  preacher  charged  with  an  inspi- 
ration and  power  fresh  from  heaven.  But  what  has  hap- 
pened ?  In  the  late  gospel  records  we  have  a  picture  of 
the  denying,  lying  Peter  out  in  the  night  weeping  bitterly. 
Now,  here  is  the  man  with  a  message  from  God  and  a 
courage  that  is  fairly  divine.  Who  is  this  preacher  ?  Can 
it  be  he  who  in  this  same  city  in  weakness  and  cowardice 
denied  his  Lord  whom  he  now  defends?  who  shrank 
in  fear  and  quailed  in  lying  dread  before  a  simple  Jewish 
maid?  If  so,  the  messenger  is  himself  a  greater  miracle 
of  grace  and  power  than  the  message  or  the  cure. 

The  la7ne  man  is,  indeed,  healed.  The  greater  miracle 
has  been  wrought  on  Peter.  He,  so  lame  and  limp  of 
soul,  now  stands  forth  in  the  very  strength  of  God.  It  is 
the  same  Peter,  but  he  has  come  by  way  of  the  empty 
tomb.  It  is  the  Peter  who  in  the  daybreak  twilight  by  the 
sea  met  his  Lord.  It  is  Peter  tested  by  the  thrice  "  Lov- 
est  thou  me  ?  "  Peter  fresh  from  the  baptism  of  Pente- 
cost !  Love  hath  transfigured  him !  The  Lion  of  the 
tribe  of  Judah  hath  made  him  courageous!  The  angel 
of  eloquence  hath  anointed  his  lips  ! 

"  The  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy." 
Here  is  your  prophet,  the  forth-teller  of  truth.  Here  is 
your  model  preacher.  He  first  directs  the  eyes  of  the 
crowd  away  from  himself:  **  Why  fasten  ye  your  eyes  on 
us,  as  though  by  our  own  power  or  godliness  we  had 
made  him  walk  ?  "  He  turns  the  "  eyes  of  their  under- 
standing, being  darkened,"  to  the  Name ;  to  "  His  name ;" 
the  name  that  their  very  hands,  perchance,  wrote  above 


S52  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

the  cross  in  fiendish  spite  and  ridicule.  It  is  a  happy  use 
of  the  old  Jewishism,  "  name,"  for  "  power."  To  them  the 
name  was  the  symbol  of  promise  and  potency ;  as  the 
psalmist  says,  "  He  saved  them  for  his  name's  sake " 
(Psa.  cxvi,  8).  But  faith,  the  personal  condition  of  sal- 
vation, is  here  brought  out.  The  order  of  the  Greek  is 
expressive :  "  And  through  faith  in  his  name,  his  name 
hath  made  strong  this  man  whom  ye  see  and  know."  It 
is  not  the  name  alone  that  works  the  miracle,  but  the 
name  as  grasped  and  made  the  channel  of  supernatural 
power  by  the  faith  of  the  believer. 

There  is  next  keen  adaptation  of  the  theme  to  his 
Jewish  crowd  and  the  making  of  himself  at  one  with 
them :  "  Ye  men  of  Israel,  the  God  of  07ir  fathers  hath 
glorified  his  son  Jesus."  And  then  with  what  splendid 
courage  and  fidelity  does  he  drive  home  the  message ! 
What  flinging  into  their  teeth  the  awful  words  of  truth  ! 
Hear  him  as  he  sets  forth  Jesus,  "  whom  ye  delivered 
up;"  "denied  before  the  face  of  Pilate;"  "asked  for  a 
murderer;  "  "killed  the  Prince  of  life."  He  then  shows 
them  the  Christ  "  whom  God  raised  from  the  dead, 
whereof  we  are  witnesses."  Then  with  infinite  tender- 
ness and  tact  he  turns  to  these  murderers  with,  "  Now, 
brethren,  I  luot  that  in  ignorance  ye  did  it."  How  this 
flings  open  wide  the  great  door  of  hope  to  these  guilty 
ones.  But,  mind  you,  there  is  no  weak  sentimentalism 
in  his  preaching,  for  we  hear  ringing  out  in  firm  tones, 
"  Repent  ...  be  converted,  that  your  sins  may  be  blotted 
out." 


THE  LAME  MAN  HEALED.  258 

Peter  is  a  model  for  the  preacher  and  teacher  of  to- 
day in  (i)  Laying  the  foundation  in  scriptural  argument, 
setting  forth  Jesus  as  the  Messiah.  (2)  Driving  home 
guilt  to  the  heart  and  conscience;  the  guilt  of  rejection 
and  the  tragic  crime  of  killing  the  Prince  of  life.  (3)  Prof- 
fering salvation  to  the  wickedest  man  through  a  merciful, 
atoning  Christ,  "through  faith  in  his  name."  (4)  Wit- 
nessing and  exhorting. 

Wilbur  P.  Thirkield. 


BOSTON  HOMILIES. 


V. 
PETER  AND  JOHN  BEFORE  THE  COUNCIL. 

Acts  iv,  I- 1 8. 

GOLDEN  TEXT. — There  is  none  other  nanne  under  heaven  given 
among  ntien,  whereby  we  must  be  saved.     Acts  iv,  12. 

We  have  for  our  study  at  this  time  the  account  of  the 
trial  of  two  men  arrested  for  preaching  the  Gospel — Peter, 
the  oldest,  and  John,  the  youngest,  of  the  apostles.  This 
lesson  presents  to  us  the  pictures  of  these  men 

1.  When  arrested. 

2.  When  arraigned. 

3.  When  acquitted. 

I.  The  Arrest.  A  man  who  was  over  forty  years  of 
age,  and  had  been  a  cripple  from  his  birth,  had  been 
brought  daily  by  his  friends  and  laid  at  the  Beautiful 
Gate  of  the  Temple  to  beg.  He  could  not  walk  or  stand, 
for  he  was  "  carried  by  his  friends."  He  could  not  even 
use  crutches,  for  the  man's  limbs  lay  as  dead  beneath 
him.  He  was  a  man  whom  nearly  all  the  inhabitants  of 
Jerusalem  knew,  for  he  had  been  carried  there  each  day 
for  years. 

One  day,  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  at  the 
time  of  evening  prayer,  as  Peter  and  John  were  going 
into  the  Temple,  this  lame  mendicant  asked  alms  of 
them.     They  had  neither  silver  nor  gold,  yet  they  gave 


PETER  AND  JOHN  BEFORE    THE  COUNCIL.    255 

him  more  than  the  richest  merchant  could  have  given. 
From  these  men  he  received  power  to  walk  and  leap, 
and  he  followed  them  into  the  Temple  praising  God. 

This  miracle  was  enough  to  draw  a  great  crowd  to 
Solomon's  porch,  and  this  was  Peter's  opportunity  to 
preach  the  Gospel.  Christianity  has  always  had  for  a 
part  of  its  work  the  saving  of  men's  bodies,  but  this  has 
only  been  an  incident  as  compared  to  the  greater  work 
of  saving  men's  souls.  This  miracle  of  healing  served  to 
startle  men  from  their  slumbers  and  summon  them  to 
open  their  eyes  and  ears  to  the  appeal  which  was.  to  be 
made  to  them.  It  served  also  as  a  credential  for  these 
men,  proving  they  were  embassadors  from  God.  The 
manifestation  of  God's  power  in  the  salvation  of  men 
will  draw  the  people  together.  This  leaping  and  shout- 
ing cripple  was  the  best  kind  of  a  church  bell.  Many 
an  eloquent  preacher  has  been  compelled  to  preach  to 
empty  pews,  but  when  his  church  has  been  blessed  with 
a  great  revival  of  religion,  and  sinners  are  being  con- 
verted, then  every  seat  in  the  house  is  taken.  Peter, 
perhaps  from  some  elevated  position  in  the  porch, 
preached  to  them  Jesus  the  Messiah  ;  that  Jesus  whom 
they  had  derided  and  murdered,  God  had  raised  to  life 
and  glorified  ;  and  that  it  was  he,  known  by  the  humble 
name  of  Jesus,  who  was  the  real  cause  of  this  man's 
wholeness. 

While  we  have  only  the  account  of  Peter's  sermon, 
yet  doubtless  John  also  spoke  to  the  people,  for  we  read 
"  they  spake,"  and  the  addresses  were  so  long  that  time 


S56  BOS  TO A^  HOMILIES. 

enough  elapsed  for  the  authorities  to  hear  of  the  gather- 
ing and  the  nature  of  the  doctrines  which  were  being 
preached.  While  they  were  still  speaking  they  were  in- 
terrupted by  the  captain  of  the  Levitical  guard  of  the 
Temple,  and  by  some  of  the  priests,  who  may  have 
thought  that  for  the  apostles  to  preach  was  an  invasion 
of  the  privileges  which  belonged  only  to  the  Levitical 
priesthood,  and  by  the  Sadducees,  who  were  bitterly  op- 
posed to  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection.  The  Phari- 
sees during  the  life  of  Jesus  were  his  bitterest  enemies ; 
after  his  resurrection  the  Sadducees  were  the  most 
hostile. 

It  often  happens  that  a  person  is  lifted  by  the  power 
of  God  from  his  moral  deformity,  and  no  one  in  the 
world  objects ;  but  when  once  he  begins  to  testify  as  to 
how  this  came  to  pass,  and  to  glorify  his  Saviour,  then 
immediately  opposition  rises  against  him.  The  world 
is  willing  you  should  live  a  blameless  life,  but  will  ob- 
ject if  you  say  that  the  blood  of  Jesus  cleanses  you  from 
sin.  In  this  case  the  people  were  willing  that  the  crip- 
ple should  be  whole — they  could  not  object  to  the  bless- 
ing which  had  come  to  this  man ;  but  because  the 
apostles  preached  Jesus  as  the  source  of  this  man's 
strength  the  authorities  are  vexed,  and  because  of  their 
teachings  rather  than  their  works  the  apostles  are 
arrested  and  lodged  in  jail.  Enjoy  your  religion  if  you 
will,  but  do  not  say  any  thing  about  it,  has  often  been 
the  demand  of  the  enemies  of  the  cross,  but  when  Jesus 
has  been  lifted  up  by  some  witness  of  his  power,  then 


PETER  AND  JOHN  BEFORE    THE  COUNCIL.     251 

opposition  has  arisen.  In  spite  of  all  persecution,  by 
the  testimony  of  Christians  sinners  are  led  to  the  Sav- 
iour, as,  in  spite  of  the  imprisonment  of  these  apostles, 
thousands  believed  in  Jesus  through  their  teachings. 

2.  The  Arraignment.  The  morrow,  probably  the  early 
morning,  brought  the  arraignment  of  these  prisoners  be- 
fore the  Sanhedrin.  They  are  called  to  face  the  same 
judges  who  had  arraigned  their  Master  about  sixty  days 
before  this.  There  were  Annas  and  his  son-in-law 
Caiaphas,  whom,  it  has  been  suggested,  **  were  the  head 
of  the  Jewish  people,  the  latter  as  actual  high-priest  and 
the  former  as  president  of  the  Sanhedrin."  John  and 
Alexander  are  also  mentioned,  and  if  their  names  had 
not  been  given  here  in  connection  with  this  trial  no  one 
on  earth  would  have  known  that  such  mortals  ever  lived, 
for  this  statement  is  all  that  we  know  of  them. 

This  court  of  seventy-one  judges  doubtless  sat  in  its 
customary  semicircle,  and  nigh  the  center  stood  Peter 
and  John  with  the  man  who  had  been  healed.  At  one 
end  of  this  semicircle  was  the  high-priest,  who  could 
question  the  prisoner  and  at  the  same  time  look  into  the 
faces  of  each  member  of  the  court.  In  this  court  were 
the  priests  and  the  elders  of  the  people  and  the  scribes. 
This  court  was  to  investigate  (i)  whether  this  be  real  mir- 
acle ;  (2)  whether  it  be  truly  divine  or  wrought  of  God. 

These  men  must  have  felt  that  there  was  very  little 
chance  of  their  receiving  a  just  trial,  fjr  they  remembered 
when  they  went  before  this  same  court  and  saw  these 
very  same  men  when  Jesus  was  being  tried.     They  could 


258  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

not  expect  that  these  men,  who  were  filled  with  such  bit- 
ter hatred,  would  allow  them  to  escape  when  they  had 
sent  to  the  cross  Jesus  himself.  They  must  have  felt 
that  their  prospect  Avas  dark. 

When  we  think  of  Peter's  record  in  connection  with 
the  trial  of  our  Lord,  we  can  have  no  hope  that  he  will 
help  the  cause  of  Christ  now.  Then  he  was  not  accused 
by  the  judges,  he  was  accused  by  a  maid  of  being  with 
Jesus,  and  he,  in  the  most  cowardly  way,  denied  that  he 
ever  knew  him.  Weak  man!  What  can  we  expect  of 
such  a  man  now  that  he  is  called  to  make  a  defense  be- 
fore the  highest  court  of  the  nation;  when  he  is  not 
accused  by  a  servant,  but  he  is  now  the  prisoner  at  the 
bar.  The  officer  of  the  court  has  already  asked  him  the 
question,  "  By  what  power,  or  in  what  name,  have  ye 
done  this  ?  "  "  Then  Peter,  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  " — 
that  single  clause  put  after  Peter's  name  tells  us  that  we 
have  a  man  here  that  does  not  seem  at  all  like  that  weak 
disciple  who  denied  his  Master.  He  is  no  more  like  that 
man  than  the  dead  wire  is  like  the  wire  connected  with 
some  battery  through  which  there  is  flowing  a  stream  of 
fire.     His  defense  shows  us  a  new  man. 

He  proves  (i)  that  he  and  John  had  performed,  "  not  a 
misdeed,  but  a  good  deed  ;"  (2)  they  could  see  for  them- 
selves that  this  man  had  been  healed,  for  he  was  there 
before  them  ;  (3)  that  this  miracle  was  wrought  by  the 
power  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  crucified  and  risen  One;  (4) 
that  for  men  there  was  no  Saviour  except  Christ. 

Peter  does  not  say  that  this  miracle  was  wrought  by 


PETER  AND  JOHN  BEFORE  THE  COUNCIL.    S59 

Jehovah,  even  though  this  would  have  been  safer  for 
him,  for  then  he  could  have  been  regarded  as  remaining 
in  the  bounds  of  Judaism  ;  but  he  combines  the  highest 
and  humblest  epithets  of  our  Lord — Jesus  the  human 
name  and  the  man  from  Nazareth,  and  yet  he  was  the 
Christ  the  Messiah.  And  then  this  prisoner,  arrested  for 
a  good  deed,  arraigns  his  judges  for  a  most  bloody  deed, 
as  he  adds,  "  whom  ye  crucified,  whom  God  raised  from 
the  dead."  You  said  he  was  worthy  of  death,  but  God 
brought  him  forth  as  the  Prince  of  life  ;  by  him  does  this 
man  stand  here  before  you  whole.  Moreover,  this  man 
Jesus,  whom  you  as  the  builders  of  God's  spiritual  king- 
dom have  rejected  and  cast  out  as  worthless,  has  been 
chosen  by  God  as  the  corner-stone,  even  the  head  of  the 
corner.  No  building  can  stand  without  a  corner-stone, 
so  there  is  no  salvation  for  this  world  except  by  this 
name.  To  the  very  men  who  crucified  Christ  he 
preaches  salvation  through  the  cross.  How  wonderfully 
is  the  promise  fulfilled  here  which  Jesus  gave  them  : 
"  When  they  bring  you  unto  the  synagogues,  and  unto 
magistrates,  and  powers,  take  ye  no  thought  how  or 
what  thing  ye  shall  answer,  or  what  ye  shall  say:  for  the 
Holy  Ghost  shall  teach  you  in  the  same  hour  what  ye 
ought  to  say"  (Luke  xii,  ii,  12). 

3.  T/ie  Acqiiittal.  The  apostles  are  commanded  to  go 
aside  out  of  the  council  while  the  judges  confer  together. 
"  What  shall  we  do  with  these  men?"  was  the  question 
which  they  had  to  settle.  Their  hearts  were  filled  with 
prejudice;  they  knew  what  they  wanted  to  do,  still  there 


S60  bostojV  homilies. 

were  certain  facts  which  they  could  not  deny  and  which 
made  a  great  impression  on  them. 

(i)  These  two  Galilean  peasants  had  stood  before  this 
highest  tribunal  of  the  nation,  and  had  the  courage  to 
turn  their  very  defense  into  an  accusation  of  their 
judges.  They  marveled  at  their  boldness.  Whence  was 
their  courage  ? 

(2)  These  men  were  unlearned  and  ignorant,  and  yet 
they  were  familiar  with  and  understood  the  Scriptures. 
They  were  but  laymen,  yet  they  could  explain  the  Script- 
ures better  than  any  priest  of  the  Jewish  Church. 
Whence  did  they  get  their  learning  ? 

(3)  The  bearing  of  these  men  recalled  the  time  when 
Jesus  was  the  prisoner  whom  they  were  trying.  With 
his  death  accomplished  they  hoped  that  they  had  buried 
forever  that  whole  system  of  teaching,  and  yet  here  is 
the  same  doctrine,  and  they  could  not  help  feeling  that 
these  men  had  been  with  Jesus.  "  We  never  had  a 
prisoner  before  us  like  Jesus,  and  yet  here  are  two  men 
animated  by  the  same  spirit  that  makes  us  feel  that  he  is 
almost  present  again  in  these  his  followers." 

(4)  There  stood  before  them  the  very  man  whom  they 
had  known,  and  his  very  posture,  and  the  joy  and  grati- 
tude seen  in  his  face  showed  that  he  had  been  wonder- 
fully blessed  body  and  soul. 

They  could  not  answer  these  facts,  and  yet  they  delib- 
erately made  the  plan  to  suppress  the  truth.  The  pris- 
oners were  accordingly  called  again,  and  they  were  com- 
manded  not  to  speak  to  any  one  in  the  name  of  Jesus, 


PETER  AND  JOHN  BEFORE    THE  COUNCIL.    261 

and  they  threatened  them  with  penalties  if  they  dis- 
obeyed this  order.  With  one  more  question  at  this 
time  Peter  probed  their  guilty  consciences  as  he  asked, 
"  Whether  it  be  right  in  the  sight  of  God  to  hearken  unto 
you  more  than  unto  God,  judge  ye.  For  we  cannot  but 
speak  the  things  which  we  have  seen  and  heard."  They 
were  then  released. 

Peter  goes  from  this  trial,  not  as  from  the  previous  one, 
to  weep  bitterly,  but  he  goes  to  his  own  company,  proba- 
bly to  some  assembly-room  where  the  Christians  met 
together,  and  there  they  held  a  praise  and  prayer  meeting 
— praise-meeting  because  of  the  triumph  which  had  come 
to  the  church,  and  a  prayer-meeting  that  they  might  all 
have  boldness  to  stand  and  to  speak  his  word.  While 
they  thus  poured  forth  their  supplications  with  thanks- 
giving, "  the  place  was  shaken  where  they  were  assembled 
together;  and  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  they  spake  the  word  of  God  with  boldness." 

Joel  M.  Leonard. 


S6S  BOSTON  HOMILIES, 


VI. 

THE  APOSTLES'  CONFIDENCE  IN  GOD. 

Acts   iv,   19-31. 

GOLDEN   TKXT.— They  spake   the   -word  of  God   -with    boldness. 

Acts  iv,    3x. 

The  experiences  and  example  of  the  apostolic  Church, 
as  recorded  in  New  Testament  history,  have  been  a  stor- 
age-battery of  power  to  every  Christian  generation.  We 
of  to-day  read  the  record  and  find  fresh  and  strengthen- 
ing stimulus  at  every  perusal.  These  words  are  not  dead 
and  cold  type,  but  have  in  them  "spirit  and  life,"  and 
because  of  such  power  they  mold  character  and  deter- 
mine destiny. 

We  have  an  illustration  of  this  in  the  lesson  before  us. 
Who  can  read  this  narrative  without  being  profoundly 
stirred  by  the  heroic  spirit  and  fearless  action  of  these 
leaders  of  the  new  movement  initiated  and  instituted  by 
Jesus  Christ  ?  They  had  seen  their  Master  overwhelmed, 
as  it  must  have  seemed  to  them,  with  an  irretrievable  dis- 
aster, and  in  consequence  of  it  they  had  returned  to  their 
old  channels  of  life.  But  re-equipped  by  the  marvelous 
events  of  the  resurrection,  and  re-empowered  by  the  pen- 
tecostal  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  they  began  anew  the 
mission  for  which  they  were  originally  selected,  and  went 
forth  preaching  "  Jesus  and  the  resurrection."      The  new 


THE  APOSTLES'    CONFIDENCE  IN  GOD.         263 

evangel  spread  with  amazing  rapidity,  and  thousands  he- 
came  followers  of  the  apostolic  doctrine.  The  authori- 
ties of  the  Jewish  Church,  recognizing  the  fact  that,  as 
with  their  Master,  the  success  of  the  apostles  meant  their 
overthrow,  sought  occasion  to  exercise  their  religious 
and  political  power  in  forbidding  the  apostles  to  dis- 
seminate their  principles.  The  occasion  soon  presented 
itself. 

A  man  lame  from  his  mother's  womb  had  sat  for  years 
at  the  threshold  of  the  Gate  Beautiful  of  the  Temple. 
To  this  gate  he  had  been  borne  daily,  and  in  Oriental 
custom  had  begged  his  living  from  compassionate  wor- 
shipers. One  eventful  day,  both  to  him  and  to  the  world, 
Peter  and  John  were  passing  by  and  were  attracted  by 
the  piteous  appeals  of  this  long-suffering  suppliant. 
Their  sympathies  were  drawn  out.  They  felt  within 
them  the  rising  of  that  spirit  which  appeared  in  their 
Master  when  he  healed  the  sick,  cleansed  the  leper, 
restored  sight  to  the  blind,  and  made  the  lame  to  walk. 
With  the  spirit  came  the  power,  and  with  a  dignity  and 
glory  which  must  have  illuminated  even  his  appearance, 
Peter  said  to  him:  "In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Nazareth,  rise  up  and  walk." 

With  touch  of  hand  the  command  was  obeyed,  and  the 
lame  man,  healed  both  in  body  and  soul,  "  leaping  up, 
stood,"  doubtless  in  joyful  amazement,  "  and  walked, 
and  entered  with  them  into  the  temple,  walking,  and 
leaping,  and  praising  God."  Such  a  miracle  filled  the 
people  with  wonder  and  convinced  multitudes  of   the 


S64  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

verity  and  power  of  the  new  faith.  At  the  same  time  it 
stirred  the  governing  Pharisees  to  immediate  action. 
They  arrested  the  two  apostles  and  put  them  in  prison. 
The  next  day  they  called  them  before  the  Sanhedrin,  and 
heard  the  defense  of  Peter,  in  which  he  told  them  the 
source  of  such  power  and  boldly  preached  to  them  per- 
sonally the  need  of  salvation  through  Jesus  Christ. 
After  a  private  consultation,  fearing  to  proceed  to 
extreme  measures  in  view  of  the  public  favor  which  the 
miracle  had  given  the  apostles,  they  "  called  them,  and 
commanded  them  not  to  speak  at  all  nor  teach  in  the 
name  of  Jesus," 

But  such  a  command  was  an  unlawful  infringement 
upon  personal  and  religious  rights,  and  as  such  must  be 
firmly  and  boldly  resisted.  It  was  an  order  that  could 
not  be  conscientiously  obeyed.  It  arrayed  in  opposition 
a  higher  and  a  lower  authority,  and  the  higher  and  the 
spiritual,  not  the  lower  and  the  ecclesiastical,  must  be 
obeyed.  God  had  given  these  apostles  their  commission 
to  preach,  and  no  earthly  tribunal  had  right  or  power  to 
overrule  it ;  and  so  with  calmness,  but  with  unflinching 
courage,  Peter  replied,  "  Whether  it  be  right  in  the  sight 
of  God  to  hearken  unto  you  more  than  unto  God,  judge 
ye.  For  we  cannot  but  speak  the  things  which  we  have 
seen  and  heard." 

They  then  departed  from  the  court  and  sought  at  once 
the  presence  of  the  other  disciples,  related  to  them  the 
events  which  had  taken  place,  and  then  unitedly  they 
laid  their  case  before  God  in  humble,  earnest,  believing 


THE  APOSTLES'    CONFIDENCE  IN  GOD.        265 

prayer.  They  committed  their  cause  to  Him  who  had 
the  power  and  who  had  promised  assistance  in  sudden  or 
anticipated  emergency.  Their  confidence  was  not  mis- 
placed, for  as  they  closed  their  petition  the  amen  of  God 
came  in  the  form  of  an  earthquake,  shaking  the  place 
where  they  were  assembled,  and  at  the  same  time  their 
own  hearts  were  filled  with  the  power  of  a  fearless  pur- 
pose and  an  unyielding  determination.  God  vindicated 
in  this  both  his  own  truth  and  their  principles,  and 
by  this  renewed  investment  of  his  Spirit  enabled  them 
"  to  speak  the  word  of  God  with  boldness." 

The  suggestions  and  the  truths  which  may  be  gathered 
from  the  lesson  of  to-day  are  many  and  varied,  for  ex- 
ample : 

The  vanity  of  combinations  and  conspiracies  against 
God  as  affirmed  in  Scripture  and  illustrated  in  history. 

The  beneficent  character  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

The  necessity  and  value  of  mutual  sympathy. 

The  power  of  united  and  believing  prayer  as  taught 
in  the  New  Testament. 

The  care  of  God  over  his  own. 

But  the  Sunday-school  authorities  in  their  selection  of 

this  passage  have  suggested  as  our  theme  the  Apostles' 

Confidence  in  God,  as  illustrated  in  the  incident  of  their 

imprisonment  and  trial.     It  was  a  critical  hour  in  the 

history    of  the    youthful    Church.     The    members    and 

leaders  were  confronted  and  opposed  by  the  organized 

and  properly  constituted  authorities,  political  and  ecclesi- 
1^ 


S66  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

astical.  They  were  condemned  in  advance  by  these, 
and  where  might  makes  right  they  could  hope  for  no 
mercy  when  the  issue  became  acute  and  prejudices 
became  exasperated.  The  disciples  had  in  a  measure 
been  prepared  for  trouble  by  the  pre-announcement  of 
Christ :  "  If  they  have  persecuted  me,  they  will  also  per- 
secute you."  But  now  it  was  in  sight,  and  under  threat 
of  pains  and  penalties  they  were  charged  to  keep  silence. 
But,  like  the  three  Hebrew  children  of  Daniel's  day,  they 
needed  no  time  for  considering  the  question.  We  find 
no  hint  or  shadow  of  one  that  indicates  on  their  part 
any  wavering  of  purpose.  Their  prayer  does  not  even 
submit  the  question  to  God  as  for  a  moment  debatable. 
They  call  divine  attention  to  the  facts  and  pray  that 
"  with  all  boldness  they  may  speak  thy  word." 

•  We  look  for  the  grounds  of  this  confidence  and  cour- 
age, and  find  them  incorporated  in  the  lesson  text.  This 
confidence  was  based  on  : 

The  Omnipotence  of  God,  which  was  (i)  A  funda- 
mental element  of  their  religious  faith. 

The  Mosaic  economy  had  taught  them  this.  The  his- 
tory of  their  own  people,  which  they  still  cherished,  and 
the  memories  of  which  were  dear  to  them,  was  full  of 
illustrious  evidences  of  the  power  and  glory  of  Jehovah. 
He  it  was  who  had  broken  the  yoke  of  Egypt,  had  led 
them  through  the  wilderness,  had  driven  out  before  them 
the  inhabitants  of  Canaan,  and  whose  own  right  arm  had 
gotten  them  the  victory.  It  was  God  who  had  blessed 
them  in  all  the  following  years,  established  them  a  nation, 


THE  APOSTLES'    CONFIDENCE  IN   GOD.        267 

and  made  firm  the  thrones  of  his  servants  David  and 
Solomon  ;  and  when  through  sin  they  had  suffered  defeat 
and  disaster,  it  was  God  who  had  delivered  them  and  by 
his  power  had  vindicated  the  purpose  of  their  existence 
as  a  people.  They  had  not  changed  in  becoming  fol- 
lowers of  Christ  this  fundamental  faith  in  the  God  of 
their  childhood  and  of  their  earlier  manhood. 

This  element  of  their  religious  faith  was  further  but- 
tressed by  (2)  The  convincing  events  of  the  life,  death, 
resurrection,  and  ascension  of  Jesus  Christ. 

God  had  spoken  and  acted  through  him.  His  teach- 
ings and  his  miracles  had  given  indisputable  evidence  to 
their  minds  that  he  was  the  Chosen  and  Sent  of  God  ; 
that  in  them  God  had  pledged  himself  to  the  new  depart- 
ure and  would  defend  and  preserve  those  engaged  in  it. 
The  FACTS  were  then,  as  they  should  be  now,  the 
unanswerable  factors  in  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel. 
When  they  beheld  "  the  man  which  was  healed  standing 
with  them,  they  could  say  nothing  against  it."  The 
apostles  remembered  the  man  with  the  withered  arm, 
the  blind  beggars  at  the  gate  of  Jericho,  the  ten  lepers,  the 
feeding  of  the  multitudes,  the  devil-possessed  daughter 
of  the  Syro-Phenician  woman,  and,  greater  than  all,  the 
triple  exercise  of  divine  power  by  which  the  beloved 
daughter  of  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue,  the  widow's  son 
at  the  gate  of  Nain,  and  His  own  friend  Lazarus  had 
been  called  back  from  the  realms  of  death  and  clothed 
with  mortal  life  again.  More  than  these,  they  had  seen 
Him  himself  die  and  then  come  forth  again,  the  Lord 


S€8  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

both  of  death  and  life.     With  such  facts,  how  could  they 
refrain  from  testifying  "  the  Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God  ?  '* 

(3)  In  addition,  the  Holy  Ghost  WITHIN  them  enabled 
them  to  make  forceful  and  persuasive  the  truth  they 
advocated. 

It  is  true  they  were  neither  skilled  in  arms  nor  trained 
in  schools  ;  they  had  neither  wealth  nor  social  position ; 
but  God  was  with  them,  and  they  were  invincible.  Pente- 
cost had  made  them  all-powerful.  With  hot  hearts  and 
anointed  lips  "  they  spake  the  word  of  God  with  bold- 
ness," and  in  doing  this  they  laid  the  foundations  of 
an  empire  universal  in  its  extent  and  eternal  in  its  dura- 
tion. Pharisees  and  Sadducees,  priests  and  scribes, 
ecclesiastical  hirelings  and  state  governments,  the  puny 
opponents  of  Christ  and  his  Gospel,  have  given  place  to 
the  despised  Nazarene ;  and  this  Jesus,  whom  they  dis- 
owned and  crucified,  is  now  recognized  to  be  both  Lord 
and  Christ.  Irresistible,  because  of  the  unction  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  they  made  possible  the  flower  and  fruitage 
of  a  Christian  civilization. 

Let  us  emulate  their  dauntless  courage,  touch  the 
sources,  as  they  did,  of  supernal  power,  make  regnant  in 
our  lives  the  principles  they  enunciated,  and  then  the 
world  will  be  at  our  feet  as  it  was  at  theirs,  and  we  shall 
go  forth,  as  did  the  apocalyptic  rider,  on  the  white  horse, 
*'  conquering  and  to  conquer." 

John  D.  Pickles. 


ANANIAS  AND   SAPPHIRA,  S69 


VII. 

ANANIAS  AND  SAPPHIRA. 

Acts  V,  I  -II. 

GOLDEN    TEXT.— Be   not  deceived;    God    13  not    mocked:     for 
whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap.     Gal.  vi,  7. 

The  contrasts  presented  by  different  lives  in  this 
world,  and  those  presented  by  the  same  life  at  different 
times,  are  very  marked.  In  the  Scriptures  we  have  many 
such  contrasts.  For  example,  Joseph  at  home,  the  pride 
of  his  father,  and  Joseph  sold  by  his  brethren  to  the  Ish- 
maelites ;  Moses  in  the  palace  of  the  Pharaohs,  and 
Moses  suffering  affliction  with  the  people  of  God  ;  Saul 
the  youthful  king,  with  every  inducement  and  incentive 
for  making  for  himself  a  noble  record,  and  Saul  diso- 
bedient to  God,  filled  with  an  evil  spirit,  and  ending  his 
life  by  his  own  hand  ;  Elijah  the  victorious  prophet,  and 
Elijah  disheartened,  fleeing  the  wrath  of  Jezebel,  and 
asking  God  to  let  him  die  ;  the  three  disciples  on  the 
mount  of  transfiguration,  seeing  Christ's  glory,  hearing 
the  words  of  the  celestial  visitants  and  the  voice  of  the 
Invisible,  and  the  other  disciples  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain  wrestling  with  a  demon. 

Our  present  lesson  brings  before  us  another  scriptural 
contrast.  From  the  closing  verses  of  the  preceding 
chapter  we  get  a  beautiful  idea  of  the  Christ-like  spirit 


S70  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

which  prevailed  in  the  primitive  Christian  Church.  The 
brotherly  love  manifested  in  the  oneness  of  heart  and 
soul,  and  in  the  community  of  goods  practiced  by  the 
Church  at  that  time,  is  a  striking  commentary  on  the 
sweetness  of  spirit  which  had  been  imparted  by  Christ  to 
his  immediate  followers.  The  conduct  of  those  disciples 
is  an  example  in  kind  of  what  intimate  fellowship  with 
Christ  must  ever  produce  in  the  individual  members  of 
his  earthly  Church.  "  The  multitude  of  them  that  be- 
lieved were  of  one  heart  and  of  one  soul :  neither  said 
any  of  them  that  aught  of  the  things  which  he  possessed 
was  his  own ;  but  they  had  all  things  common.  .  .  . 
Neither  was  there  any  among  them  that  lacked  :  for  as 
many  as  were  possessors  of  lands  or  houses  sold  them, 
and  brought  the  prices  of  the  things  that  were  sold,  and 
laid  them  down  at  the  apostles'  feet :  and  distribution 
was  made  unto  every  man  according  as  he  had  need" 
(Acts  iv,  32-35). 

Certainly  in  this  we  have  portrayed  a  most  happy  con- 
dition of  things.  Love  reigned  in  the  hearts  of  those 
early  Christians  ;  and  where  love  is  blessings  innumer- 
able follow  in  its  train. 

In  the  fifth  chapter,  however,  we  have  a  sad  contrast. 
A  dark  cloud  arises  upon  the  horizon  ;  into  the  sweet 
music  a  discord  is  introduced  ;  the  happy  family  relations 
are  disturbed  by  an  unlovely  and  an  unholy  disposition. 
As  Matthew  Henry  observes,  "  The  chapter  begins  with 
a  melancholy  *  but,'  which  puts  a  stop  to  the  pleasant 
and  agreeable  prospect  of  things  which  we  had  in  the  fore- 


ANANIAS  AND    SAPPHIRA.  271 

going  chapters."  We  had  just  been  introduced  to  Joses, 
surnamed  by  the  apostles  Barnabas,  the  son  of  consola- 
tion. Having  possessions  perhaps  greater  than  his  fellow- 
disciples,  which  made  his  case  a  peculiarly  noted  one, 
and  actuated  by  a  divine  spirit  of  generosity,  we  have 
seen  him  selling  his  land,  and  bringing  the  money  and 
laying  it  at  the  apostles'  feet  for  distribution  among  his 
less  favored  brethren.  We  can  easily  imagine  the  praise 
that  would  be  bestowed  upon  him  for  his  self-sacrificing 
deed. 

Inspired  by  this  example,  or,  at  least,  coveting  the  es- 
teem which  this  act  had  won  for  Joses,  Ananias  and  his 
wife  determined  to  appear  equally  generous.  And  so 
they  sold  their  possession,  and  Ananias  came  with  great 
show  of  benevolence,  bringing  to  the  apostles  only  a  part 
of  the  price,  but  bringing  it  as  though  it  was  the  whole. 
There  was  every  appearance  of  Christian  love  and  unself- 
ishness in  this  transaction  ;  but  the  spirit  thereof  was 
wanting. 

Had  Peter  been  in  the  same  condition  of  heart  as 
when,  a  ic^^  short  weeks  before,  he  had  told  a  cowardly 
falsehood  to  shield  himself  from  the  possible  conse- 
quences of  being  known  as  a  follower  of  Christ,  he  would 
never  have  detected  the  deception  which  Ananias  and 
Sapphira  were  now  practicing.  But  God  had  recon- 
structed Peter ;  and  he  and  his  fellow-apostles  were  now 
for  a  peculiar  and  special  work  by  a  peculiar  and  special 
gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  establishing  securely  and 
guarding  faithfully  the  Christian  Church. 


272  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

Can  we  doubt  that  as  Peter  looked  upon  Ananias,  and 
by  the  aid  of  the  Holy  Spirit  read  the  lie  that  was  in  his 
heart  and  conduct,  if  not  upon  his  lips,  he  must  have 
had  vividly  and  sorrowfully  recalled  to  his  mind  the  lie 
with  which  he  himself  had  so  basely  denied  his  Lord, 
and  that  again,  in  his  soul,  at  least,  he  must  have  "wept 
bitterly?  "  And  thus  in  the  experience  of  every  Chris- 
tian how  often  the  conduct  of  the  ungodly  recalls  the 
memory  of  his  own  past  sinfulness,  and  makes  him  turn 
away  from  his  former  self  in  penitence  and  disgust  ! 

As  Peter  lays  bare  the  intent  of  Ananias's  heart,  that 
man  stands  in  the  presence  of  the  Spirit-filled  apostles 
speechless.  In  dumb  amazement  he  listens  to  the  terri- 
ble accusation,  while  his  own  conscience  adds  its  sharp- 
est sting  to  the  words  spoken.  His  sin  has  found  him 
out  'wJie7i  and  where  he  did  not  expect  it.  God's  hand  is 
laid  upon  him  in  summary  retribution.  Falling  down, 
"he  gave  up  the  ghost;"  "and  the  young  men  arose, 
wound  him  up,  and  carried  him  out,  and  buried  him." 

The  fate  of  his  wife,  who  had  conspired  with  him  in 
this  deception,  was  soon  sealed.  Coming  in  "about 
three  hours  after,"  possibly  to  inquire  as  to  the  where- 
abouts of  her  husband,  or  perhaps  to  receive  with  him 
the  expected  praise  for  their  pretended  generosity,  she 
adds  lying  lips  to  the  acted  falsehood,  and  soon  her  life- 
less body  lies  at  the  feet  of  the  apostles,  and  she  is  car- 
ried out  to  her  burial. 

The  question  may  be  asked,  Was  not  this  punishment 
of  Ananias  and  Sapphira  too  severe  ?    No  time  was  given 


ANANIAS  AND    SAP PH IRA.  S73 

for  repentance;  no  opportunity  was  offered  for  them  to  con- 
sider their  transgression,  and  to  cry  unto  God  for  pardon. 

We  may  find  answer  to  this  inquiry,  I  think,  in  the  fol- 
lowing suggestions : 

I.  Their  sin  was  an  aggravated  one.  "  Thou  hast  not 
Hed  unto  men,  but  unto  God,"  were  Peter's  words  to 
Ananias.  The  peculiar  enormity  of  their  sin  consisted  in 
its  being  committed  against  the  Holy  Ghost.  They 
knew  of  the  pentecostal  gift.  They  had  undoubtedly 
been  ey-ewitnesses  and  ear-witnesses  of  the  remarkable 
occurrences  of  that  pentecostal  day.  They  knew  of  the 
continuance  of  this  divine  power  with  the  apostles  in  the 
cure  of  the  lame  man  at  the  Temple  gate,  and  in  their 
bold  utterances  before  their  accusers  and  judges.  And 
now  they  come  with  a  definitely  settled  purpose  to  de- 
ceive the  Spirit  of  God  in  the  persons  of  God's  chosen 
ones,  thinking  him  to  be  such  a  one  as  themselves.  In 
their  thought  they  had  degraded  the  Holy  Ghost  to  the 
level  of  human  frailty  and  human  ignorance.  Because 
God  had  not  taken  immediate  vengeance  upon  other  sin- 
ners, therefore  he  could  not  know. 

The  unpardonable  sin  is  against  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and 
Peter  said  to  Ananias,  "  Why  hath  Satan  filled  thine 
heart  to  lie  to  the  Holy  Ghost?"  or,  as  some  have  trans- 
lated it,  "  to  belie  the  Holy  Ghost."  Dr.  Lightfoot  sup- 
poses that  Ananias  was  not  an  ordinary  believer,  but  a 
minister,  and  one  that  had  received  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  with  the  hundred  and  twenty.     Yet  he  dared  thus 

by  dissembling  to  belie  and  shame  that  gift. 
12* 


S74  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

2  It  was  a  deliberate  sin.  It  was  not  committed  as 
the  result  of  a  sudden  temptation  ;  but  these  two  had 
consulted  together  about  it,  and  had  entered  into  a 
mutual  agreement  to  work  this  deception  upon  the  apos- 
tles and  the  Church.  It  was  cold-blooded  in  every  re- 
spect. There  was  apparently  no  necessity  laid  upon 
them  by  outward  circumstances.  Certainly  there  was  no 
law  of  the  Church  making  it  obligatory  for  them  to  sell 
and  give.  "  While  it  remained,  was  it  not  thine  own  ? 
and  after  it  was  sold,  was  it  not  in  thine  own  power?  " 
asks  Peter.  "  This  community  of  goods,  as  it  existed  in 
the  Church  at  Jerusalem,  was  a  purely  voluntary  thing. 
It  was  not  required  by  the  apostles."  Ananias  shows 
himself  to  have  been  by  deliberate  choice  a  hypocrite. 
He  need  not  have  been  in  the  Church  at  all.  He  shows 
baseness  at  every  point  of  his  recorded  history.  "  He 
was  not  censured  because  he  had  not  surrendered  his 
entire  property,  but  for  falsely  pretending  to  have  done 
what  he  had  not  done." 

3.  Sin  must  have  becojne  the  settled  purpose  of  their 
lives.  God  does  not  pronounce  condemnation  unto  death 
for  an  initial  sin  or  for  a  series  of  sins.  It  is  only  when 
the  soul  becomes  saturated  with  sin,  when  there  is  no 
longer  hope  of  the  man's  bearing  fruit  unto  righteous- 
ness, that  God  casts  him  off.  Some  single  sin  may 
mark  this  period,  and  thus  stand  out  as  the  great  and 
crowning  act  of  a  life  of  wickedness,  as  was  probably  this 
sin  in  the  career  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira,  proving  deadly 
to  their  moral  manhood  and  womanhood,  from  which  it 


ANANIAS  AND   SAPPHIRA.  ^5 

was  impossible  for  their  souls  to  recuperate.  It  must 
have  been  a  crisis  in  their  inner  lives  marking  the  deter- 
mination of  their  souls — a  crisis  not  apparent  to  men,  but 
open  and  plain  to  the  eye  of  God.  "  As  one  may  receive  a 
saber  stroke  and  live,  and  yet  die  if  a  needle  enter  a  spot 
in  the  spine  where  the  nerves  start  which  move  the 
lungs;  or,  as  poisons,  taken  little  by  little  with  impunity, 
make  a  cumulative  deposit  which  at  last  acts  as  one 
fatal  dose  ;  so  a  single  sin,  apparently  venial,  may  make 
the  climax  of  sinfulness." 

4.  The  severity  of  this  punishtnent  may  have  been  due 
in  a  measure  to  the  conditions  surrounding  the  Church  at 
that  early  period.  The  Church  was  in  its  infancy.  The 
apostles  had  just  been  endued  with  a  miraculous  gift  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  If,  thus  endued,  they  were  not  able  to 
discern  the  motives  prompting  the  deeds  of  any  of  their 
number,  then  discredit  would  be  thrown  upon  their  en- 
dowment. By  this  awe-inspiring  event,  recorded  in  our 
lesson,  however,  was  made  clear  to  all  that  the  great 
Discerner  of  the  thoughts  and  intents  of  the  heart  was 
present  with  the  apostles ;  and  thus  those  who  might 
wish  to  unite  themselves  to  the  Church  through  worldly 
motives,  having  merely  a  desire  to  participate  in  the  pro- 
ceeds from  the  goods  and  possessions  sold,  would  be  de- 
terred. The  impression  made  upon  the  people  by  this 
miracle  of  judgment  shows  how  salutary  was  the  lesson, 
and  would  warrant  us  in  believing  that  it  was  needed. 
See  the  eleventh  verse :  "  And  great  fear  came  upon  all 
the  church,  and  upon  as  many  as  heard  these  things." 


S76  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

But  whatever  reasons  may  be  found  for  this  summary 
punishment  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira,  satisfactory  or 
otherwise,  we  are  sure  that  "the  Judge  of  all  the  earth 
shall  do  right."  And  that  this  punishment  was  of  God 
we  cannot  doubt  who  accept  the  statements  of  the  nar- 
rative as  inspired. 

We  may  further  learn  from  this  lesson : 

(i)  That  those  who  presume  upon  security  and  im- 
punity in  any  sinful  course  are  reckoning  ignorantly  and 
foolishly.  They  deceive  themselves,  they  may  deceive 
their  fellows  ;  but  they  cannot  deceive  God.  "  Be  sure 
your  sin  will  find  you  out."  The  words  of  our  Golden 
Text  should  ever  be  a  warning :  "  Be  not  deceived  ;  God 
is  not  mocked  :  for  whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that  shall 
he  also  reap." 

(2)  It  is  useless  to  bring  half  of  self  to  God  in  conse- 
cration. God  demands  the  whole  heart;  and  there  is 
too  little  of  us  individually  to  make  an  offering  of  less 
than  this.  A  half-hearted  service  for  God  is  well-pleas- 
ing to  Satan ;  for  he  knows  that  it  means  a  sure  service 
for  himself. 

(3)  The  wheat  and  the  tares  ever  grow  together  in  the 
earthly  Church.  It  was  so  in  the  Christ's  time.  Judas 
Iscariot  was  one  of  the  twelve.  Joses  and  Ananias  were 
both  members  of  the  same  Church.  It  has  been  so  ever 
since.  It  will  be  so  "  until  the  harvest."  Then  Christ 
"  will  say  to  the  reapers,  Gather  ye  together  first  the 
tares,  and  bind  them  in  bundles  to  burn  them  ;  but  gather 
the  wheat  into  my  barn."     We  have  not  the  wisdom  for 


ANANIAS  AND   SAPPHIRA.  S77 

this  separation,  "  Lest  while  we  gather  up  the  tares,  we 
root  up  also  the  wheat  with  them."  It  has  seemed  at 
times  in  history  as  though  the  tares  had  almost  choked 
out  the  wheat ;  but  God  has  always  had  his  faithful 
witness;  and  "the  foundation  of  God  standeth  sure, 
having  this  seal :  the  Lord  knoweth  them  that  are  his." 

Let  each  one  of  us  build  over  against  his  own  house — 
the  house  of  his  own  character — that  it  may  stand  secure 
and  untarnished  when  the  light  of  judgment  day  is 
turned  upon  it. 

God  save  us  from  the  sin  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira ! 

God  save  us  from  all  sin  ! 

Gilbert  C.  Osgood. 


278  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 


VIII. 
THE  APOSTLES  PERSECUTED. 

Acts  V,  25-41. 

GOLDEN    TEXT.— We    ought    to    obey   God    rather  than    men. 

Acts  V,  29. 

In  the  earlier  chapters  of  the  Book  of  Acts  Luke,  the 
historian,  keeps  close  to  Peter  as  the  central  figure ;  in 
the  later  he  travels  with  Paul.  Whatever  the  distinc- 
tions of  Pauline  and  Petrine  theology,  we  are  here  in 
the  midst  of  the  facts  upon  which  both  are  based.  We 
find  Peter  with  a  new  experience.  He  had  learned  that 
it  took  less  courage  to  cut  off  a  man's  ear  than  to  face 
the  ridicule  of  a  servant-girl  ;  that  boasting  of  superior 
loyalty  to  his  Master  was  no  security  against  a  swearing 
denial ;  that  a  broken  heart  was  the  best  preparation  for 
spiritual  power.  Peter  had  been  converted,  and  was 
able  to  strengthen  his  brethren.  Pentecost  had  made 
him  the  rock  that  Christ  had  chosen  him  to  be.  He 
had  become  a  man  by  being  filled  with  the  Spirit  of 
God. 

He  illustrates  here  a  most  important  scriptural  truth 
as  deep  as  the  incarnation  itself,  namely,  the  baptism  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  gives  man  a  fuller  possession  of  himself. 
We  are  not  surprised  at  the  commotion  created  by  the 
apostles.     Twelve  such   men,  with   such    an  experience 


THE  APOSTLES  PERSECUTED.  279 

and  such  a  message  as  these  men  had,  were  enough  to 
stir  any  city,  and  jostle  the  composure  of  any  rabbi. 
This  new  heresy  was  becoming  popular.  The  lame  and 
the  sick  were  being  carried  into  the  streets  in  full  faith 
that  even  the  shadows  of  these  despised  Galileans  would 
heal  them.  Solomon's  porch  had  drawn  a  crowd  of  in- 
curables from  all  over  Jerusalem,  and  the  conviction  was 
rapidly  spreading  that  the  kingdom  of  heaven  was  at 
hand. 

The  apostles  did  not  sneak  into  the  back  streets  and 
alleys  for  their  work,  but  in  the  most  public  spot  in  the 
city  they  preached  Christ.  Such  aggressive  Christianity 
was  sure  to  stir  up  the  devil.  Easy-going  Christians, 
who  are  generally  going  the  devil's  way,  could  have  es- 
caped serious  trouble,  but  wide-awake,  fearless  workers 
could  not  be  left  alone.  The  high-priest,  whose  reve- 
nues had  been  cut  off  when  Christ  drove  the  money- 
changers out  of  the  Temple,  who  had  not  forgotten  the 
face  and  name  which  he  thought  had  been  destroyed  for- 
ever, found  this  name  more  popular  with  the  masses  than 
ever.  As  the  Sadducees  sought  to  control  the  masses, 
something  must  be  done  at  once  to  silence  these  men 
who  were  openly  defying  their  express  commands.  He 
and  his  party  "  rose  up,  .  .  .  and  were  filled  with  in- 
dignation." The  bloodiest  inquisitor  of  Spain  or  Mex- 
ico knows  how  to  be  "  filled  with  indignation."      The 

apostles    were    thrown    into     "  the    common    prison," 

■"•'1 
but  prisons  could  not  hold  such  men.     jEvery  healed 

man  and  woman    in   Jerusalem  would  pray   for  them. 


880  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

Healing  power  was  a  pledge  of  helping  power.  The 
witnesses  of  the  resurrection  had  no  uncertainty  about 
the  supernatural.  Three  years  with  Jesus,  and  three 
weeks  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  had  made  the  supernat- 
ural seem  to  them  very  natural.  It  had  become  as 
unreasonable  to  deny  the  reality  of  spiritual  force  as  to 
deny  the  reality  of  action  of  the  human  will  upon  the 
body.  The  keys  of  that  door  were  not  all  in  the  jailer's 
keeping.  The  keepers  could  not  determine  just  how 
soundly  they  would  sleep.  Angels  might  be  expected 
at  any  time.  It  was  no  greater  exhibition  of  God's 
power  over  nature  or  in  nature  to  open  a  prison  door 
than  to  open  a  rose-bud. 

"  The  angel  of  the  Lord  by  night  opened  the  prison 
doors,  and  brought  them  forth,  and  said.  Go,  stand  and 
speak  in  the  temple  to  the  people  all  the  words  of  this 
life  " — all  the  words  of  this  salvation,  this  new  life  of 
God  among  men,  of  men  with  God. 

The  early  comers  to  the  temple-worship  or  temple- 
market  next  morning  found  the  apostles  there  before 
them  preaching  in  the  very  spot  where  they  had  been 
arrested,  but  with  a  new  illustration  of  the  power  of  their 
risen  Saviour. 

Meantime,  the  great  council  had  been  called  to  dispose 
of  these  preachers  so  securely  locked  up.  The  impor- 
tance of  the  case  is  seen  in  the  coming  of  the  twenty- 
four  chief  pr*  -,  the  twenty-four  elders  of  the  people,  and 
the  twenty-"  irrjcribes,  all  of  whom  held  their  places  by 
reason  of  age,  wisdom,  and  weight  of  character.     Even 


THE  APOSTLES  PERSECUTED.  S81 

the  great  Gamaliel  was  present.  It  was  an  august  as- 
sembly which  filled  the  circle  of  seats  in  the  great  hall 
and  waited  for  the  coming  of  the  prisoners.  But  the 
first  news  astounded  them.  The  well  locked  and  guard- 
ed jail  was  found  empty.  Their  minds  swiftly  ran  from 
this  event  back  over  all  that  had  happened  during  the 
last  few  weeks,  and  very  naturally  "  they  doubted  of 
them  whereunto  this  would  grow."  The  awkwardness 
was  not  at  all  relieved  by  the  announcement  made  at 
this  juncture  :  "  The  men  whom  ye  put  in  prison  are 
standing  in  the  temple  and  teaching  the  people."  The 
chief  watchman  of  the  Temple  took  a  squad  of  soldiers 
and  very  respectfully  escorted  the  apostles  to  the  coun- 
cil hall.  Such  prisoners,  with  such  a  hold  on  the  peo- 
ple, were  not  to  be  handled  roughly,  as  there  were  signs 
of  a  shower  of  stones.  No  questions  were  asked  about 
how  they  got  out  of  the  prison  or  how  they  healed  the  sick. 
There  was  a  disposition  to  keep  close  to  questions  of  au- 
thority. "  Did  not  we  straitly  command  you  that  ye 
should  not  teach  in  this  name?"  and  with  singular 
weakening  toward  the  plea  of  injured  innocence :  "  Ye 
have  filled  Jerusalem  with  your  doctrine,  and  intend 
to  bring  this  man's  blood  upon  us."  How  the  guilty 
conscience  remembers  the  day,  the  deed,  the  word  close- 
ly linked  with  known  crime !  These  men  had  doubtless 
started  the  cry  of  the  crowd  which  pressed  around  Pi- 
late :  "  His  blood  be  on  us,  and  on  our  children." 

The  apostles'  reply  was  in  substance  the  same  as  in 
their  former  trial.   Then  it  was,  "  Judge  ye  if  one  should 


282  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

hearken  unto  you  more  than  to  God."  Now  it  is,  "  We 
ought  to  obey  God  rather  than  man."  Then  it  was, 
"  We  cannot  but  speak  the  things  we  have  seen  and 
heard."  Now  it  is  a  positive  charge  of  their  personal 
guilt  in  the  crucifixion  of  Christ,  the  certainty  of  his  res- 
urrection and  exaltation,  his  bestowment  of  repentance 
and  forgiveness  of  sins  upon  Israel,  and  the  unfaiHng 
witness  of  the  Holy  Ghost  to  all  who  obey  God.  The 
judges,  treated  as  criminals,  were  sawn  to  pieces  with 
rage,  and  very  promptly  decided  that  if  such  men  could 
not  be  intimidated  into  silence  nor  locked  up  they  must 
die,  and  thus  the  contagion  of  the  new  religion  would 
end. 

Then  stood  up  Gamaliel,  learned  in  the  law,  a  careful 
observer  of  events,  broader  in  spirit  than  the  men  of  his 
age,  honored  of  all  the  people,  and  commanded  that  the 
men  should  retire  while  they  held  a  consultation. 
"  His  plea  was  not  so  much  for  systematic  tolerance  as 
for  temporary  action.  Let  these  men  alone  at  present. 
As  far  as  we  can  see  they  are  only  the  victims  of  a  harm- 
less delusion.  There  is  nothing  seditious  in  their  prac- 
tice, nothing  subversive  in  their  doctrines.  Even  if 
there  were  we  should  have  nothing  to  fear  from  them, 
and  no  need  to  adopt  violent  measures  of  protection. 
Fanaticism  and  imposture  are  short-lived,  even  when 
backed  by  popular  insurrection.  But  in  the  views  of 
these  men  there  maybe  something  more  than  at  present 
appears  ;  some  germ  of  truth,  some  gleam  of  revelation 
may    inspire    their   singular    enthusiasm,    and    to    fight 


THE  APOSTLES  PERSECUTED.  283 

against  them  may  be  to  fight  against  God.  There  was 
time  to  watch  the  development  of  this  new  fraternity. 
.  .  .  The  advice  was  too  sound  and  the  authority  of  the 
speaker  too  weighty  to  be  rejected." — Canoii  Farrar. 
The  frequency  and  the  failure  of  rebellious  uprisings 
were  enough  to  account  for  Gamaliel's  tolerance  without 
attributing  to  him,  as  some  have  done,  a  secret  faith  in 
Christianity.  Following  his  advice,  the  fury  of  the  other 
members  of  the  council  could  only  express  itself  in  the 
useless  command  that  the  apostles  should  preach  no 
more  in  this  name,  the  command  being  enforced  by  the 
strongest  argument  left  to  them — that  is,  beating.  They 
gave  them  the  full  benefit  of  Deut.  xxv,  1-3.  But  the 
apostles  took  their  punishment  cheerfully,  and  went  out 
from  the  presence  of  the  council  "  rejoicing  that  they 
were  counted  worthy  to  suffer  shame  for  his  name." 
They  made  straight  for  Solomon's  porch  and  took  up 
the  preaching  just  where  they  had  left  off,  and  arranged 
also  to  preach  in  every  house  that  was  open  to  them. 

This  incident  is  suggestive  in  every  detail.  It  should 
be  compared  with  the  incident  of  chapter  iv,  noting  the 
change  in  the  apostles,  the  people,  and  the  priests. 

We  see  the  courage  of  humility  and  the  humility  of 
courage,  the  strength  of  tolerance  and  the  weakness  of 
hitolerance,  the  failure  of  unbelief  and  the  victory  of 
faith.  We  see  the  kind  of  testimony  that  is  to  overcome 
and  win  the  world  for  Christ.  The  men  who  have 
moved  the  world  toward  God  are  those  who  have  be- 
lieved in  his  will  as  the  highest  possible  good,  and  by 


S84  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

every  means  have  sought  to  know  and  obey  him.  To 
obey  God  is  to  find  the  greatest  good  his  world  can  work 
out  for  us,  and  to  build  a  character  which  will  feel  at 
home  with  God  in  the  next  world. 

We  see  that  historical  and  experimental  evidences  of 
Christianity  confirm  each  other.  Spiritual  experiences 
are  in  line  with  the  providential  and  miraculous  events 
recorded  in  Scripture.  "  We  are  witnesses  of  these 
things,  so  is  also  the  Holy  Ghost  whom  God  hath  given 
to  them  that  obey  him."  We  see  that  the  most  zealous 
Christian  faith  need  not  become  fanaticism.  Fanaticism 
is  the  outcome  of  perverted  Scripture,  morbid  and  un- 
enlightened conscience,  spiritual  pride,  selfishness.  Faith 
keeps  to  the  word  of  God,  studies  Christian  experience, 
is  teachable  and  loving,  and  believes  that  God  gave  com- 
mon sense  for  every-day  use.  Fanaticism  said  to  Christ, 
"  Cast  thyself  down  "  from  "  the  pinnacle  of  the  temple." 
Faith  said,  "  Thou  shalt  not  tempt  the  Lord  thy  God." 

Ever}'-  age  has  had  its  councils  of  bigotry,  superstition, 
and  selfishness.  Every  age  has  had  its  fearless,  faithful, 
victorious  witnesses  to  the  truth.  The  Savonarolas, 
Luthers,  Wesleys,  have  not  been  few,  but  many.  There 
are  boys  in  shops,  girls  in  factories,  young  people  in  so- 
ciety, young  men  starting  in  business,  older  men  in  the 
thick  of  commercial  battles,  who  are  making  a  stand 
against  sin,  often  single-handed  and  alone,  which  is  as 
heroic  and  sublime  as  that  of  Huss  or  Knox. 

When  Philip  II.  of  Spain  and  Cardinal  Granville  had 
determined  to  rid  themselves  of  William  of  Orange,  after 


THE  APOSTLES  PERSECUTED,  28^ 

setting  forth  a  statement  of  his  so-called  offenses,  they 
published  their  famous  ban :  "  For  these  causes  we 
declare  him  traitor  and  miscreant,  enemy  of  ourselves 
and  of  the  country.  As  such  we  banish  him  perpetually 
from  all  our  realms,  forbidding  all  our  subjects  to  com- 
municate with  him,  openly  or  privately,  to  administer  to 
him  food  or  drink  or  shelter.  We  allow  all  to  injure 
him  in  property  or  life.  We  expose  him  as  an  enemy  of 
the  human  race,  giving  his  property  to  all  who  may 
seize  it,  and  if  any  one  of  our  subjects,  or  any  stranger, 
shall  be  found  sufficiently  generous  of  heart  to  rid  us  of 
this  pest,  delivering  him  to  us  alive  or  dead,  or  take  his 
life,  we  will  cause  to  be  furnished  to  him  immediately 
after  the  deed  shall  have  been  done,  the  sum  of  twenty- 
five  thousand  crowns  in  gold.  If  he  have  committed 
any  crime,  however  heinous,  we  promise  to  pardon 
him,  and  if  he  be  not  already  noble,  we  will  ennoble 
him  for  his  valor." 

William  of  Orange  closes  his  masterly  reply  with  these 
words  :  "  I  am  in  the  hands  of  God.  My  worldly  goods 
and  my  life  have  been  long  since  dedicated  to  his  serv- 
ice.    Ke  will  dispose  of  them  as  seems  best  for  his  glory 

and  my  salvation." 

J.  A.  Stor\. 


BOSTON  HOMILIES. 


IX. 

THE  FIRST  CHRISTIAN  MARTYR. 

Acts  vii,  54-60  ;  viii,  1-4. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— He  kneeled  down,  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice, 
Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge.     Acts  vii,  60. 

The  lesson  opens  at  a  crisis.  The  day  of  Pentecost 
led  to  the  persecution  of  the  apostles  because  they 
taught  that  Christ  was  the  Son  of  God.  Now  Stephen 
comes  forward  to  give  a  spiritual  interpretation  of  the 
law,  and  to  present  the  unfolding  of  worship  according 
to  varied  conditions  under  the  old  dispensation.  This 
may  endanger  the  Temple  rites.  Then  a  great  company 
of  priests  are  turning  unto  Christ.  The  Sadducees  are 
alarmed,  and  the  most  determined  opposition  from  the 
Jews  follows.  Stephen  is  apprehended  and  brought  be- 
fore the  council.     Let  us  consider : 

I.  The  Man.  The  form  of  his  name  would  indicate 
that  he  was  a  Hellenist ;  that  is,  a  Jew  born  among  the 
Gentiles,  speaking  the  Greek  language.  His  name  also 
signifies  a  crown.  In  one  sense,  being  the  first,  he  crowns 
the  list  of  deacons  enumerated  in  the  sixth  chapter.  He 
also  crowns  the  long  list  of  martyrs  who  have  adorned 
the  history  of  the  Church.  He  steps  into  the  path  of 
ecclesiastical  history,  does  his  work  in  a  few  days,  and 
passes  to  his  reward. 


THE  FIRST  CHRISTIAN  MARTYR.  287 

(i)  He  was  versed  in  the  Scriptures.  "When  they 
heard  these  things,  they  were  cut  to  the  heart."  The 
reference  is  to  Stephen's  defense.  It  was  drawn  from 
the  Old  Testament  with  an  appHcation  to  his  hearers. 
Cranmer  and  Ridley  learned  the  New  Testament  by 
heart.  They  also  saw  its  truths  in  relation  to  present 
duties  of  life.  This  was  the  case  of  the  first  Christian 
martyr.  He  exposed  the  false  view  of  the  Jews  toward 
the  Temple  and  the  law.  He  would  have  his  hearers 
draw  the  inference  that  Moses  refers  to  Christ  in  verse 
37.  These  half-suppressed  references  to  Christ  and  to  a 
larger  spiritual  force  in  the  Old  Testament  denote  how 
skillfully  Stephen  handled  the  Word. 

"  They  were  cut  to  the  heart,"  or,  literally,  they  were 
sawn  asunder  in  their  hearts.  It  was  not  one  staggering 
blow  which  did  the  work.  The  truth,  laden  with  rebukes, 
was  gradually  making  its  way  through  their  hearts.  The 
personal  application  completed  the  work.  The  Script- 
ures are  our  defense  and  also  furnish  our  weapons  of 
warfare.  They  exposed  the  guilt  of  the  Jews,  and  are 
to-day  exposing  the  false  supports  of  many  who  have 
substituted  a  human  plan  for  a  divine  one. 

(2)  Stephen  was  spiritually  enlightened.  "  But  he,  being 
full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  looked  up  steadfastly  into  heaven. " 
We  may  not  all  have  the  privilege  of  Stephen  to  look 
into  heaven  in  this  life,  but  the  Holy  Spirit  furnishes  en- 
lightening power.  Spiritual  breadth  of  vision  follows. 
That  creates  confidence.  The  most  earnest  and  active 
biblical  characters  have  remarkable  composure  at  times. 


288  BOSTON  HO  ATI  LIES. 

Moses  at  the  Red  Sea,  hemmed  in  by  a  hostile  army  on 
the  one  hand  and  by  a  barrier  of  fens  and  of  water  on 
the  other,  stands  confidently  and  awaits  the  deliverance. 
Paul,  after  having  preached  in  what  were  once  five  na- 
tions, cast  out  of  cities  by  mobs  and  with  threatenings 
unto  death,  is  yet  in  the  storm  on  the  deep  calmer  than 
any  of  the  hundreds  of  sailors  and  soldiers,  saying,  "  Be 
of  good  cheer."  Moses  endured,  seeing  Him  who  is  in- 
visible ;  and  the  angel  of  God  revealed  himself  unto 
Paul,  saying,  "  Fear  not." 

Here  was  the  basis  of  Stephen's  confidence.  Facts  of  the 
invisible  world  were  newly  impressed  upon  him.  We  see 
things  here  from  a  short  range.  Hence  mystery  and  per- 
plexity arise.  But  if  the  truth  which  God  has  revealed 
in  his  Word  were  impressed  upon  us  in  the  right  degree, 
with  what  great  confidence  we  might  stand  in  the  severe 
trial !  Perhaps  Stephen  did  not  see  any  more  than  had 
been  thus  far  revealed  to  him  by  word.  But  how  posi- 
tively and  vividly  it  is  now  realized  !  Greater  light  and 
power  spring  up  from  the  Word.  It  would  be  foolish 
for  him  to  attempt  to  run  away  from  his  foes,  or  to  meet 
them  single-handed.  But  he  need  not  stand  like  a  stoic 
to  await  their  blows.  He  is  sustained  by  a  higher  power, 
and  looks  with  joy  to  the  end. 

(3)  He  possessed  a  forgiving  spirit.  "  Lord,  lay  not 
this  sin  to  their  charge."  This  prayer  is  without  a  par- 
allel outside  of  biblical  history  and  its  influence.  Con- 
fucius, Isocrates,  Seneca,  and  other  Gentile  writers  hinted 
at  the  Golden  Rule  in  a  partial  or  negative  form.     But 


THE  FIRST  CHRISTIAN  MARTYR.  289 

praying  for  one's  enemies  has  thus  far  been  discovered 
only  in  the  Bible  and  in  the  Hne  of  its  influence.  The 
cross  first  brings  it  to  view.  It  was  something  new  for 
the  world  to  record  when  Christ  said,  "  Father,  forgive 
them;  for  they  know  not  what  they  do."  Stephen  imitates 
his  Lord  and  Master.  He  also  kept  his  word  :  "  Pray 
for  them  that  despitefully  use  you,  and  persecute  you." 
This  spirit  interprets  his  bold  and  pointed  rebuke  against 
the  Jews.  This  was  intended  for  their  good  as  much  as 
his  forgiving  prayer.  God's  severity  and  goodness  go 
together  in  conquering  the  world  for  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  Stephen's  sharp  reproof  and  forgiving  spirit 
raised  up  new  workmen  in  the  early  Church.  We  now 
notice : 

2.  Stephen's  Witnessing  to  the  Truth,  (i)  He 
witnessed  that  God's  presence  and  favor  were  not  lim- 
ited to  any  set  place.  This  leads  us  back  to  Stephen's 
defense,  again  involved  in  ** these  things"  of  the  first 
verse  of  the  lesson.  He  had  been  charged  with  speak- 
ing "  blasphemous  words  against  this  holy  place  and  the 
law."  False  witnesses  said  that.  The  falsity  consisted 
largely  in  attributing  to  him  a  hostile  and  blasphemous 
spirit.  He  evidently  declared  a  higher  form  of  truth 
than  was  explicitly  stated  in  the  law,  or  practiced  in  the 
Temple.  Yet  it  was  a  truth  developed  from  these.  God 
has  had  a  history  with  his  people,  and  it  is  still  going  on. 
This  important  fact  must  not  be  overlooked  to-day.  We 
are  to  read  what  God's  finger  is  writing  in  his  kingdom 

now,  as  well  as  what  it  wrote  on  tables  of  stone  in  the  past. 
13 


290  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

Stephen  taught  that  God's  presence  was  not  limited 
to  a  favored  few.  This  was  one  Hnk  in  the  chain  which 
drew  away  Christians  from  Jewish  rites.  Peter  must 
yet  be  taught  in  a  vision  that  God  is  no  respecter  of 
persons,  and  Paul  will  be  raised  up  to  declare  the  same 
truth  in  all  its  variety  and  picture  the  liberty  in  store 
for  the  children  of  God.  But  Stephen  was  the  forerun- 
ner of  Paul.  This  has  been  denied  by  some.  Yet  it  is 
reasonable  to  believe  that  the  goads  of  conscience  at  the 
time  of  Paul's  conversion  were  largely  drawn  from  the 
scene  of  Stephen's  death.  Paul  at  Antioch  in  Pisidia 
adopts  Stephen's  historical  method.  Then  the  emphasis 
he  places  on  the  spiritual  side  of  Jewish  worship,  and  the 
vigorous  opposition  he  makes  to  God's  favor  being  lim- 
ited to  one  place,  remind  us  of  Stephen.  Augustine 
says  :  "  The  prayer  of  Stephen  gave  Paul  to  the  Church." 

Stephen's  death  became  the  occasion  for  extending 
his  teaching.  Devout  men  bear  him  to  the  tomb.  But 
others  are  raising  the  war-cry  against  Christians.  Let 
victory  be  complete,  is  their  motto.  Soon  the  church  at 
Jerusalem  is  dispersed.  Its  scattered  members  are  carry- 
ing life  and  peace  over  Judea  and  Samaria.  It  was  not 
the  swarming  out  of  an  over-crowded  hive  into  a  new 
colony.  It  was  the  story  of  refugees.  Here  was  no 
well-directed  plan  or  skilled  leadership.  It  was  the 
spontaneous  utterance  of  the  glad  tidings  of  the  Gospel. 

It  was  doubtless  necessary  that  the  first  disciples 
should  be  witnesses  of  Jesus  and  the  resurrection  at 
Jerusalem.     But  it  was  just  as  necessary  that  a  second 


THE  FIRST  CHRISTIAN  MARTYR.  291 

step  should  be  taken.  That  step  was  to  bear  witness  in 
Judea  and  Samaria.  Thus  Jesus  had  commanded.  There 
might  be  a  temptation  to  be  in  no  haste  in  taking  this 
second  step.  The  disciples  loved  the  Temple.  Who 
could  blame  them  ?  Here  Jesus  gave  some  of  his  choicest 
revelations.  But  lingering  amid  the  incense  and  smok- 
ing sacrifices  too  long  they  may  bind  these  practices, 
only  belonging  to  the  past,  on  the  new  society,  and  fetter 
its  future  course.  They  were  providentially  thrust  out 
into  new  fields,  as  we  may  be,  by  apparent  disasters,  to 
secure  in  the  end  the  best  results. 

(2)  Stephen  bore  witness  that  Christ  had  been  elevated  to 
glory  and  power.  "  I  see  the  heavens  opened,  and  the 
Son  of  man  standing  on  the  right  hand  of  God." 
Stephen  was  the  first  to  bear  witness  to  the  fact  of  see- 
ing Christ  after  his  ascension.  Paul  and  John  were 
granted  such  visions  later  (Acts  ix,  3,  4;  i  Cor.  ix,  i  ; 
Rev.  i,  12-17).  Perhaps  such  witnessing  was  needed  to 
encourage  the  early  Church.  It  made  invisible  things 
appear  as  a  positive  reality.  It  also  confirmed  Stephen's 
teaching.  Christ  had  taught  that  spiritual  worship  any- 
where was  pleasing  to  the  Father.  He  predicted  that 
the  Temple  would  be  overthrown.  He  forcibly  instructed 
the  Jews  by  parables  that  the  way  of  salvation  was  open 
to  the  Gentiles.  This  was  not  the  talk  of  an  idle  dreamer, 
but  of  one  who  now  was  standing  on  the  right  hand  of 
God.  If  they  accepted  Stephen's  witness  there  was  new 
and  conclusive  evidence  of  Christ's  divine  mission,  and 
a  seal  to  his  Messianic  office. 


292  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

It  would  follow  that  a  peculiar  privilege  had  been 
granted  to  Stephen.  Any  rabbi  might  have  coveted  it. 
The  glory  of  God  had  appeared  to  him  as  well  as  to 
Abraham  and  to  Moses.  If  his  face  had  shown  like  that 
of  an  angel  his  words  now  had  a  heavenly  support.  They 
must  be  treasured  up  like  those  of  patriarchs  and  of 
prophets.  The  issue  was  plain.  Turn  and  accept  Jesus. 
But  instead  of  this  they  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice, 
stopped  their  ears,  and  ran  upon  him  with  one  accord, 
and  cast  him  out  of  the  city  and  stoned  him.  Since  the 
Jews  had  no  legal  right  at  this  time  to  inflict  capital 
punishment,  they  were  disobedient  to  Roman  law.  They 
were  also  disobedient  to  the  higher  law  of  God.  They 
resisted  the  Holy  Ghost.  This  sin  is  in  the  world  to-day. 
This  enlightened  age  may  well  hear  the  rebuke  of  Stephen, 
and  gain  still  higher  light  by  walking  in  the  Spirit. 

(3)  Stephen  bore  witness  that  Jesus  receives  his  people 
after  death.  He  did  not  formally  affirm  this  fact,  but 
prayed  to  Jesus  to  receive  his  spirit  ;  or,  in  bold  literal- 
ness,  "  Take  my  spirit  by  the  hand."  The  idea  is  not  so 
much  the  guidance  of  a  traveler  as  the  welcoming  of  a 
guest.  And  are  not  such  as  Stephen  called  to  the  mar- 
riage supper  of  the  Lamb  ?  God  longs  to  dwell  with  his 
people.  The  tabernacle  in  the  wilderness  and  the  Chris- 
tian Church  on  all  continents  are  founded  on  the  idea  of 
gathering  a  people  out  of  the  world.  In  the  midst  of 
that  people  or  community  is  the  Lord  of  all.  If  the  first 
steps  of  this  union  make  man  a  guest  with  Christ,  how 
gracious  and   blessed    will    that    reception  be   when  he 


THE  FIRST  CHRISTIAN  MARTYR.  S93 

gathers  his  own  from  the  four  quarters  of  the  earth, 
when  the  last  enemy  shall  be  overcome,  and  the  angels 
shall  sing  no  more  of  peace  on  earth,  but  shall  sing  a 
heavenly  song  of  victory  ! 

In  all  this  witnessing  Stephen  was  faithful  unto  death. 
He  uttered  the  truth  and  his  foes  gnashed  on  him  with 
their  teeth,  but  God  gave  him  a  heavenly  vision.  Now 
he  has  something  more  to  say,  like  all  true  disciples 
when  they  have  received  a  special  blessing.  It  is  said 
that  some  Churches  are  "  gone  dumb  with  old  age."  But 
if  they  possessed  the  spirit  of  Stephen  they  would  soon 
renew  their  youth  and  teach  the  world  the  divinity  of 
their  faith. 

With  him  there  was  no  struggle  for  peace  or  light  at 
last.  All  was  settled.  His  last  words  are  for  others, 
even  his  foes.  Livingstone  was  found  in  the  cold  em- 
brace of  death  in  the  attitude  of  prayer  on  the  Dark  Con- 
tinent— a  beautiful  close  of  a  great  life.  Stephen  is 
found  in  the  attitude  of  prayer  when,  perhaps,  from  mur- 
derous blows  he  can  no  longer  stand — a  sublime  ending 
of  faithful  service.  Life  is  before  us  all.  It  may  be  ear- 
nest with  a  hopeful  anticipation  well  founded.  If  it  be 
like  Stephen's,  at  evening  time  it  shall  be  light. 

J.  H.  Allen. 


^y4  BOSTON  BO  J/ /LIES. 


X. 

PHILIP  PREACHING  AT  SAMARIA. 

Acts  viii,  5-25. 
GOLDEN    TEXT. — And  there  was  great  joy  in  that  eity.       Acts  viii,  8. 

We  can  hardly  appreciate  the  Jewish  feehng  of  hatred 
toward  the  Samaritans.  To  the  Jew  they  were  mongrels, 
idolaters,  outcasts.  God's  frown  hung  over  them.  In 
the  sky  of  his  love  and  mercy  there  was  an  empty  place 
above  Samaria. 

In  the  southern  hemisphere,  if  we  turn  even  so  small 
an  instrument  as  a  ship's  glass  toward  that  part  of  the 
sky  known  as  the  "  coal-sack,"  or  "  end  of  the  universe," 
its  awful  blackness  flashes  into  clusters  of  tiny  suns. 
Christ's  "  dealings  "  with  the  Samaritans  become,  as  it 
were,  our  glass.  Through  it  we  see  that  over  this  peo- 
ple the  love  of  God  had  gemmed  itself  in  promises  as 
bright  and  beautiful  as  those  which  shed  such  radiance 
upon  Judea. 

When  Philip  went  down  to  the  [a]  city  of  Samaria  the 
apostles  and  the  church  at  Jerusalem  had  begun  to  see 
that  the  Gospel  has  no  geographical  boundaries.  Even 
with  this  discovery  they  seemed  in  no  hurry  to  quit  Je- 
rusalem.    They  had  to  be  "  broken  out." 

It  is  not  improbable  that  the  da/  of  Pentecost  had 
attached  them  too  strongly  to  one  place.     They  wanted 


PHILIP  PREACHING  AT  SAMARIA.  S95 

more  time  to  talk  over  the  wonderful  things  that  had 
occurred.  They  were  more  inclined  to  celebration  than 
to  evangelization. 

God  knew  that  there  was  little  hope  for  the  Gospel  in 
the  shadow  of  the  Temple.  The  dispersion  without  doubt 
had  become  a  necessity.  It  would  probably  have  come 
by  other  means  had  not  Saul  of  Tarsus  appeared.  God 
saw  that  he  would  scatter  the  Church  abroad,  and  he  let 
him  do  it. 

God  uses  all  men,  all  events,  to  serve  his  cause.  Saul 
made  havoc  of  the  Church,  and,  as  things  turned,  helped 
evangelize  Samaria.  Philip  in  Samaria  points  straight 
back  to  Saul  of  Tarsus  in  Jerusalem.  God  turns  perse- 
cution into  blessing.  Nero  played  no  small  part,  though 
a  negative  part,  in  founding  the  Gospel  in  Rome.  Rough 
usage  in  our  Master's  service  often  does  us  good.  It 
makes  us  more  active  for  him.  An  occasional  cyclone 
makes  better  sailors  than  continuous  fair  weather.  Get- 
ting a  ship  upon  her  beam  ends  now  and  then  is  the  best 
way  of  teaching  how  to  keep  her  off  her  beam  ends. 

Driven  from  Jerusalem,  Philip  went  down  to  the  city 
of  Samaria.  Its  name  at  this  time  was  Sebaste.  It  had 
been  given  to  Herod  the  Great  by  Caesar  Augustus. 
Herod  enlarged  and  beautified  it,  and  in  honor  of  the 
emperor  gave  it  the  name  Augusta,  of  which  Sebaste  is 
the  Greek  translation. 

The  first  thing  Philip  did  was  to  go  to  a  city.  Some- 
how the  Gospel  has  flourished  best  in  the  city.  Our 
Lord's  work  centered   in   Jerusalem.      The  apostles  in 


S96  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

their  missionary  tours  always  turned  toward  the  great 
cities  of  the  world.  We  read  of  Philip  but  once  outside 
of  a  city.  He  met  the  chamberlain  of  Queen  Candace 
in  a  desert.  But  here  in  the  person  of  the  eunuch  he 
was  preaching  to  a  court  and  doubtless  to  a  kingdom. 
Philip  was  pre-eminently  a  preacher  to  cities.  "  But 
Philip  was  found  at  Azotus  [Ashdod]  :  and  passing 
through  he  preached  in  all  the  cities,  till  he  came  to 
Cesarea  "  (ver.  40). 

There  is  nothing  in  the  city  which  the  Gospel  fears. 
It  is  not  abashed  in  presence  of  intellect,  of  wealth,  of 
social  and  political  power.  It  turns  them  to  its  own 
uses.  Its  history  has  been  chiefly  identified  with  that 
of  the  most  powerful  cities,  the  best  races,  the  most  cul- 
tivated languages. 

In  our  day  we  deplore  the  decline  of  preaching  in  the 
country.  Fill  the  cities  with  men  like  Philip  and  the 
contagion  will  spread  (ver.  25).  The  problem  is  not  how 
to  carry  the  Gospel  into  the  country,  but  how  to  spread 
and  maintain  it  in  the  city.  The  growth  of  cities  is 
phenomenal  and,  from  the  stand-point  of  Christian  work, 
startling.  The  country  has  practically  become  a  suburb. 
Loudly  the  city  calls  for  evangelization.  The  thousand 
of  the  city  must  not  give  way  to  the  hundred  of  the 
country.  A  multitude  of  men  are  needed  who,  like 
Philip,  will  make  straight  for  the  city. 

Philip  knew  the  shortest  road  to  the  human  heart. 
He  preached  Christ  unto  them.  He  evidently  did  not 
argue.     He  uttered  no  harsh  words.     He  did  not  take 


PHILIP  PREACHING  AT  SAMARIA.  297 

them  to  task  because  they  had  no  Bible  but  the  Penta- 
teuch. Their  mixed  and  perverted  worship  he  did  not 
assail.  It  is  altogether  likely  that  he  made  no  reference 
to  the  hateful  controversy  so  long  raging  between  Ger- 
izim  and  Moriah.  He  preached  Christ  unto  them.  He 
gave  the  facts — facts  resting  on  the  person  of  Christ  and 
stayed  by  Christian  experience. 

In  preaching,  as  in  every  thing  else,  nothing  can  take 
the  place  of  facts.  Every-where  the  great  human  quest 
is  for  facts.  If  you  are  preparing  information  to  be  used 
in  a  congressional  committee  room,  you  will  be  told  not 
to  give  arguments,  but  facts. 

Preaching  Christ  is  dealing  with  facts,  central  and  sub- 
lime facts.  He  is  the  supreme  Fact  of  the  world.  And  the 
great  fact  concerning  him  is  that  he  is  the  personal  Saviour 
of  men.  Grand  is  he  in  creation,  in  history,  in  knowl- 
edge, but  grandest  is  he  enthroned  in  the  heart  of  man. 

His  greatest  joy  is  in  saving  the  soul.  This  is  the 
glorious  fact  of  preaching.  Every  thing  concerning 
Christ  turns  on  this.  No  better  designation  of  the  work 
of  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel  can  be  found  in  the  Bible 
than  is  contained  in  the  brief  phrase,  "  And  preached 
Christ  unto  them." 

The  great  message  announced,  Philip  at  once  began  to 

do  good.     He  worked  miracles.      He   did  not  do  this 

merely  to  convince  the  people  that  he  had  told  them  the 

truth.     He  did  it  to  help  them.     His  miracles  were  of 

two  kinds.     The  first  was  to  rid  many  of  unclean  spirits  ; 

the  second,  to  heal  diseases. 
13* 


S98  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

There  is  a  natural  and  beautiful  sequence  of  Christian 
work  here.  First  in  importance  is  the  salvation  of  the 
soul.  There  immediately  follows  moral  renovation. 
Then  comes  physical  benefit. 

We  cannot  cast  out  unclean  spirits  or  heal  diseases. 
We  can  preach  Christ.  The  two  great  forces  we  are  to 
exercise  in  place  of  Philip's  power  to  work  miracles  are 
those  of  example  and  kindness.  These  are  more  needed 
in  the  Church  of  to-day  than  miraculous  gifts.  Unclean 
spirits  cannot  endure  moral  purity.  In  its  presence  they 
require  no  exorcism.  Of  their  own  will  they  flee  from  it. 
And  how  does  Christian  sympathy  mitigate  suffering  and 
disease  ?  We  need  not  pray  for  miraculous  gifts.  As 
true  Christians  we  wield  a  power  quite  their  equivalent. 

The  Gospel  had  been  given  to  the  people  in  its  three- 
fold power — to  save,  to  cleanse,  to  cure.  With  sin  for- 
given, unclean  spirits  cast  out,  diseases  healed,  how  could 
it  be  otherwise  than  that  there  should  be  great  joy  in 
that  city? 

There  was  one  deeply  interested  spectator  of  Philip's 
work — Simon  the  sorcerer.  It  does  not  appear  that  he 
cared  much  for  the  preaching.  His  eye  was  on  the 
miracles. 

In  this  single  particular  it  would  not  be  difficult  to 
duplicate  his  case  in  our  day  among  very  good  people. 

Here  was  something  probably  new  to  him — genuine 
miracles.  There  was  no  trickery  in  it.  By  his  art  he 
could  do  some  wonderful  things.  He  was  helped  therein, 
as  we  may  infer  from  what  the   Bible  tells  us  of  ancient 


PHILIP  PREACHING  AT  SAMARIA.  299 

magic,  by  the  powers  of  darkness.  But  he  knew  himself 
to  be  a  deceiver,  the  practitioner  of  a  wicked  art. 

When,  therefore,  he  saw  Philip,  without  resort  to 
charms,  amulets,  herbs,  incantations,  mystical  letters,  and 
many  other  awe-inspiring  devices,  do  what  was  utterly 
beyond  the  power  of  magic,  he  was,  of  course,  "  amazed." 
He  became  ambitious  of  possessing  a  like  power.  It 
would  make  him  the  great  magician  of  the  world.  We 
may  reasonably  conjecture  that  in  order  to  acquire  the 
secret  of  Philip's  power  he  believed  and  was  baptized. 

It  is  possible  for  people  of  the  modern  world  to  come 
perilously  near  to  believing  in  Christ  in  the  interest  of 
"  signs  and  great  miracles." 

And  what  wrath  must  fall  from  heaven  upon  those 
who  pretend  to  Philip's  gifts,  bewitching  many  for  pri- 
vate gain.  Removing  the  coverings  from  Simon's  heart, 
we  see  that  self  interest  was  at  the  bottom  of  his  infat- 
uation with  Philip. 

But  he  was  to  be  still  more  amazed.  Christianity  is  a 
religion  of  surprises.  The  more  men  see  of  its  working, 
whether  they  be  friends  or  foes,  the  more  it  moves  them 
to  wonder. 

Philip  had  gone  as  far  as  he  could  go.  He  had  done 
much  ;  but  there  was  one  thing  he  could  not  do.  By 
the  laying  on  of  his  hands  the  Holy  Ghost  could  not  be 
received. 

There  was  no  common  level  of  prerogative  in  the  early 
ministry.  Very  early  God  introduced  a  beautiful  and 
varied  order  into  it.     While  Peter  and  John  could  do  all 


800  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

that  Philip  did,  Philip  could  not  do  all  that  Peter  and 
John  could  do. 

It  was  the  "gift  of  God  "  peculiar  to  the  apostles  that 
now  drew  Simon  Magus  to  them.  Here  was  something 
more  baffling,  more  amazing,  than  the  things  Philip  had 
done.  Common,  plain  people  who  had  been  baptized 
with  Simon  at  once,  through  prayer  and  the  laying  on 
of  hands,  became  the  recipients  of  marvelous  gifts.  They 
spoke  in  tongues  they  had  never  learned  ;  they  proph- 
esied ;  they  healed ;  they  wrought  miracles.  What  a 
power  was  this  possessed  by  the  apostles  to  bring  down 
such  gifts  (chap,  xix,  6 ;   i  Cor.  xii,  8,  etc.). 

Simon's  wonder,  at  least,  was  natural.  We  wonder  as 
did  he.  God  has  withheld  from  us  the  miraculous  gifts 
of  the  apostolic  age.  We  do  not  need  them.  The 
Church  is  planted.  Christianity  is  established.  While 
we  are  learning  a  new  tongue  the  Gospel  is  preached  in 
every  tongue.  The  physician  and  the  hospital  are  heal- 
ing while  we  are  acquiring  the  art  of  healing.  It  was 
not  so  at  first. 

The  apostles'  hands  had  not  been  laid  upon  Simon,  his 
heart  had  not  been  touched  by  Philip's  preaching,  and 
he  was,  of  course,  open  to  any  temptation  that  the  powers 
of  darkness  might  suggest. 

If  God  be  not  with  us  the  powers  of  evil  are.  To  be 
saved  from  the  smallest  sins  as  well  as  the  greatest  we 
need  to  be  gathered  under  the  wing  of  the  Almighty. 
Away  from  his  brooding  love  and  sheltering  power  we 
are  not  a  moment  safe. 


PHILIP  PREACHING  AT  SAMARIA.  301 

Simon's  sin  was  a  deed  of  awful  sacrilege.  It  does 
not  appear  that  it  was  the  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost ; 
but  it  was  a  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost.  It  belonged 
to  that  class  of  sins  from  which  the  worst  men  shrink. 

Wicked  men  reverence  the  name  of  the  Holy  Ghost  as 
they  do  not  that  of  the  Father  or  the  Son.  Infidels  are 
silenced  when  we  talk  to  them  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  of 
his  witness  in  our  hearts ;  of  his  guidance  in  our  lives. 
There  is  a  hush  among  scoffers  when  we  speak  the  name 
of  this  person  of  the  Holy  Trinity.  This  universal  shrink- 
ing from  irreverence  toward  the  Holy  Spirit  may  be  an 
instinct  divinely  implanted  within  us  as  a  specific  pre- 
ventive against  the  unpardonable  sin. 

We  do  not  need,  however,  to  commit  Simon's  sin  ;  it 
is  not  necessary  to  profane  the  name  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  be  guilty  of  sins  against  the  Holy  Ghost.  Indifference 
to  his  pleadings,  slighting  his  calls,  are  sin  enough.  In 
this  we  all  have  to  say  that  our  hearts  have  not  been 
right  in  the  sight  of  God.  This  is  the  dispensation  of 
the  Spirit.  We  are  peculiarly  exposed  to  sins  against 
him.  O,  let  us  watch  and  pray  lest  we  commit  siJis 
against  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Some  of  us  have  stood  where  Virgil  and  Dante  found 
imagery  that  makes  men  shudder  to  read  of  We  have 
been  down  into  Vesuvius's  awful  cone  ;  in  the  flarings  of 
a  single  torch  we  have  stood  upon  the  margin  of  the 
river  Styx.  In  these  places  we  have  recalled  the  poetic 
scenes  of  which  they  are  the  dreadful  negatives.  But 
Virgil   and    Dante  are    unable   to   furnish  a  picture  so 


302  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

remarkable  in  its  setting,  so  fearful  in  its  details,  as  that 
which  Peter  now  gives  us  of  Simon's  heart. 

And  what  is  this  picture  ?  It  is  a  picture  of  sin  ;  sin 
which  torments,  curses,  and  destroys  us.  In  Simon  sin 
took  the  form  of  a  wicked  and  powerful  ambition.  In 
us  it  may  take  the  form  of  something  else.  This  picture 
of  Simon  "in  the  gall  of  bitterness  and  in  the  bond  of 
iniquity  "  is  simply  a  picture  of  the  human  heart  with 
God  out  of  it  and  sin  in  it. 

We  trust  from  what  follows  that  Simon  was  forgiven. 
He  was  alarmed  at  Peter's  revelation  of  his  condition  and 
his  danger. 

Unless  we  be  conscious  of  God's  favor  we  ought  to  be 
alarmed  every  moment.  If  Christ  came  into  the  world 
to  save  sinners  ;  if  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Bible,  the  Church, 
the  ministry  are  working  for  this  end,  how  ought  he  to 
feel  who  is  resisting  one  and  all  ? 

May  this  lesson  bring  us  nearer  to  Christ ;  may  it  in- 
spire in  us  a  deep  hatred  of  sin,  which  is  Satan's  magic, 
and  may  it  awaken  us  to  covet  more  earnestly  those 
gifts  of  the  Spirit,  which,  while  they  may  differ  from  the 
gifts  that  came  by  the  laying  on  of  the  apostles'  hands, 
nevertheless  belong  to  the  same  Spirit. 

H.  H.  Clark. 


PHILIP  AND   THE  ETHIOPIAN,  SOS 


XI. 

PHILIP  AND  THE  ETHIOPIAN. 

Acts  viii,  26-40. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting 
life.     John  iii,  36. 

We  have  before  us  in  this  narrative  an  interesting  and 
instructive  picture  of  mission  work  in  apostolic  times 
— simple,  yet  graphic,  containing  all  the  elements  of  a 
pleasing  story ;  at  the  same  time  bringing  home  to  our 
hearts  the  great  truths  of  communion  with  God,  angelic 
ministry,  divine  leadership,  and  salvation  through  Jesus 
Christ. 

This  story  of  Philip  and  the  Ethiopian  is  so  rich  in 
practical  suggestions  that  the  teacher  will  find  it  dif- 
ficult to  select  the  most  important  for  the  hour  with  the 
class.  Your  attention  is  invited  to  the  consideration  of 
four  important  features  in  the  lesson : 

I.  God's  Providential  Direction  in  Individual  Life. 
"And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  spake  unto  Philip."  This 
meeting  of  Philip  and  the  Ethiopian  was  not  the  result 
of  mere  accident  or  chance.  A  species  of  pre-established 
harmony  existed  between  these  two  souls  before  they 
were  conscious  of  each  other's  existence  in  this  world. 
An  angel  messenger  gives  the  directions  by  which  they 
were  to  be  brought  together.     Many  times  the   oppor- 


304  BOSTON  HOMILTES, 

tunities  of  life  seem  purely  accidental,  but  if  we  could 
follow  all  the  steps  by  which  these  opportunities  were 
prepared  we  would  find  the  deep,  well-laid  plans  of  God's 
purposes:  "Behold,!  send  an  Angel  before  thee,  to  keep 
thee  in  the  way,  and  to  bring  thee  into  the  place  which 
I  have  prepared  "  (Exod.  xxiii,  20). 

Frequently  we  speak  of  accidents  determining  a  man's 
destiny,  forgetting  that  in  the  vocabulary  of  God  there 
is  no  such  word  as  chance.  It  seemed  a  mere  chance 
that  Moses  was  discovered  by  Pharaoh's  daughter — a 
chance  river  current,  as  a  fitful  morning  breeze,  bringing 
him  to  the  bathing-place  of  the  princess.  "  But  eternal 
choice  that  chance  did  guide." 

In  that  basket  floated  the  destiny  of  God's  chosen 
people.  In  that  babe  the  providence  of  God  was  to 
furnish  the  human  means  of  Israel's  deliverance  from 
the  bondage  of  cruel  Egypt.  A  sleepless  night  in 
the  life  of  Ahasuerus,  an  imperial  whim  to  pass  away 
the  weary  liours  by  having  the  records  of  the  kingdom 
read  ;  but  back  of  that  sleepless  night  was  a  providence 
working  to  bring  Mordecai  to  a  position  of  influence, 
where  he  will  be  able  to  foil  the  malignant  plot  of  Ha- 
man. 

A  dusty  pilgrim  overtaken  on  a  desert  road  by  the 
chamberlain  of  a  pagan  queen,  that  is  all  the  world's 
wise  ones  see  in  this  incident  of  our  lesson  ;  but  in  this 
chance  meeting  there  is  the  hidden  fire  of  a  divine  pur- 
pose. In  that  meeting  the  treasurer  of  Ethiopia  receives 
the  message  of  the  Gospel  into  his  care-worn  heart,  and 


PHILIP  AND    THE  ETHIOPIAN.  305 

with  an  anthem  of  joy  goes  forth  a  saved  man  to  plant 
in  far  away  Africa  the  seeds  of  saving  truth : 

"  Thou  camst  not  to  thy  place  by  accident, 

It  is  the  very  place  God  meant  for  thee; 

And  shouldst  thou  there  small  scope  for  action  see, 
Do  not  for  this  give  room  to  discontent." 

Behind  all  life's  varying  scenes — its  joys,  its  sorrows, 
its  social  positions  and  its  political  ambitions,  its  individ- 
ual cares,  its  national  crises — there  is  the  guiding  hand 
of  God.  It  is  the  privilege  of  the  Christian  to  rely  on 
other  forms  hovering,  guiding,  arranging,  and  inspiring 
the  events  of  life,  so  that  redeemed  man  may  co-operate 
with  the  purposes  of  God  :  "  For  he  shall  give  his  angels 
charge  over  thee  to  keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways." 

What  comfort  to  short-sighted,  burden-bearing  pilgrims, 
to  think  that  God's  angels  are  ministering  spirits  mar- 
shaled under  King  Jesus  to  guard  and  defend  us  against 
the  assaults  of  our  great  adversary,  the  devil,  who  is  con- 
tinually striving  for  our  destruction. 

2.  The  Willing  and  Obedient  Servant.  Notice  the 
nature  of  the  directions  given  by  the  angel  and  what  was 
involved  in  obedience  thereto.  Verse  26  gives  us  the  text 
of  the  angel's  commission  to  Philip :  "  Arise,  and  go 
toward  the  south,  unto  the  way  that  goeth  down  from  Je- 
rusalem unto  Gaza,  which  is  desert."  In  a  sense  Philip 
is  to  proceed  under  sealed  orders.  The  directions  are 
simple  in  terms  so  far  as  they  go.  Go  to  a  certain  road. 
Yet  in  a  sense  they  are  vague  and  indefinite.  Sixty  miles 
of  desert  highway,  with  the  haughty,  wicked  city  of  Gaza 


306  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

at  the  southern  terminus,  was  a  command  seriously  requir- 
ing some  more  definite  statements  as  to  what  duty  was 
to  be  met  and  where  the  field  of  future  work  was  to  be 
found.  The  angel  had  revealed  to  Philip  just  enough  to 
indicate  some  of  the  difficulties  in  the  way.  No  point 
or  place  is  mentioned  in  the  message,  no  time  or  duty  is 
indicated.  To  ordinary  human  nature  such  directions 
would  make  room  for  two  or  three  questions  of  a  very 
practical  character  just  here.  It  looks  like  a  journey, 
but  it  may  end  in  a  jaunt.  Natural,  indeed,  would  have 
been  the  questions,  Why  limit  the  sphere  of  my  ministry 
by  taking  this  unfrequented  way?  Here  I  am  in  the 
populous  city,  multitudes  are  being  stirred  with  the  gos- 
pel message,  converts  coming  every  day.  I  am  in  the 
midst  of  a  gracious  revival ;  unclean  spirits  are  crying 
out  for  fear,  and  are  leaving  the  possessed  ones  clothed 
in  their  right  mind.  Because  of  this  there  is  great  joy 
in  the  city.  Why,  then,  must  I  be  side-tracked?  why 
leave  the  city  appointment  to  take  the  country  charge  ? 
That  was  the  voice  of  expediency,  and  we  will  always  find 
crouching  somewhere  in  the  near  neighborhood  of  that 
voice  the  cowardly  tempter.  And  thus  the  tempter  speaks : 
A  long  desert  journey  on  foot,  a  lone  pilgrim,  prowling 
wild  beasts,  night  coming  on,  and  no  shelter !  Philip, 
there  is  danger  ahead,  "  lions  are  in  the  way."  Besides, 
if  you  reach  Gaza,  and  it  is  revealed  to  you  that  there  is 
your  new  field  of  work,  consider  what  difficulties  and 
dangers  await  you.  Gaza  is  hardened  in  crime,  bitter  in 
its  rebellion  against  God.     It  is  one  of  the  most  ancient 


PHILIP  AND   THE  ETHIOPIAN.  SOI 

cities  of  the  world.  Joshua  could  not  subdue  it.  It  was 
assigned  to  Judah,  but  even  that  warlike  tribe  could  not 
retain  its  possession.  What  an  opportunity  for  another 
Jonah  experience  if  there  had  been  an  iota  of  physical 
or  moral  cowardice  in  the  heart  of  Philip  !  Yet  to  have 
yielded  to  his  fears,  to  have  doubted  the  divine  wisdom, 
would  have  been  to  have  lost  the  opportunity  of  meeting 
the  man  for  whose  conversion  Philip  was  the  divinely 
appointed  instrument :  "  Only  the  willing  and  obedient 
shall  eat  of  the  good  of  the  land." 

We  have  heard  inspiring  sermons  on  that  word  "  come  " 
of  the  Gospel,  and  truly  it  is  a  blessed  word,  inviting 
weary  hearts  to  the  sweet  asylum  of  rest  found  in  Jesus 
Christ.  Through  its  tender  tones  many  a  prodigal  has 
found  his  way  back  to  home.  But,  dear  reader,  as  be- 
lievers in  the  cross  of  Christ,  have  we  realized  the  blessed 
privilege  of  that  other  great  word  of  the  Gospel,  that 
small  yet  mighty  word,  '*  Go  ?  "  "  Go  out  into  the  high- 
ways and  hedges,  and  compel  them  to  come  in."  "Go, 
work  to-day  in  my  vineyard."  And  when  falling  for  the 
last  time  on  human  ears  from  the  lips  of  our  Saviour  it 
was  from  the  spur  of  Olivet,  where  the  chariot  of  his 
Father  was  waiting  to  take  the  Redeemer  home  :  "  Go 
ye  therefore,  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  .  .  .  And,  lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the 
end  of  the  world." 

It  was  the  inspiration  of  that  great  word  that  moved 
Philip  to  obedience.    In  the  sweet  harmonies  of  soul  that 


808  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

united  his  life  in  loving  obedience  to  the  command  of  his 
Master,  all  the  harsh  voices  of  selfish  expediency,  all  the 
lower  voices  of  fear  and  doubt,  were  hushed,  and  like 
Abraham  at  Mount  Moriah,  like  Moses  at  Sinai,  and 
Elijah  at  Carmel,  in  filial  obedience  he  walked  the  seem- 
ingly desert  pathway  of  duty,  making  it  to  bloom  and 
blossom  as  the  rose. 

We  dare  not  leave  this  thought  of  loving  obedience  to 
the  commands  of  God  without  emphasizing  another  fact 
in  this  connection,  namely,  that  in  proportion  as  we  obey 
present  revelations  of  God's  will,  future  and  fuller  revela- 
tions will  appear.  Through  obedience  God  makes  a 
broader  and  deeper  manhood,  and  then  gives  a  broader 
and  deeper  truth  to  fill  that  enlarged  manhood.  Philip 
had  plainly  revealed  to  him  the  direction  he  was  to  take  : 
"Arise,  and  go  toward  the  south,  unto  the  way  that  .  .  . 
is  desert."  This  command  was  sufficient  for  prompt 
action  at  that  hour.  Philip  had  capital  enough  at  that 
moment  to  go  right  to  work  for  God  in  the  new  field. 
When  the  hour  of  opportunity  came  for  other  work  than 
walking  a  desert  highway,  verse  29  informs  us  that  an- 
other revelation  was  given.  Philip  is  on  the  journey,  he 
is  overtaken  by  the  chariot  of  the  Ethiopian  :  "  Then  the 
Spirit  said  unto  Philip,  Go  near,  and  join  thyself  to  this 
chariot."  An  angel  directs  Philip  to  leave  the  city  and 
go  southward  on  the  desert  road,  but  in  this  new  scene 
of  duty  the  servant  of  God  is  brought  into  close  quarters 
with  a  sin-burdened  soul.  That  work  can  be  done  by  no 
angel.     The  Holy  Spirit,  the  third  person  of  the  Trinity, 


PHILIP  AND   THE  ETHIOPIAN.  309 

is  to  take  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  and  bring  it  home  to 
the  Ethiopian's  soul  with  saving  power.  This  higher 
revelation  was  given  to  Philip  through  obedience  to  the 
former  revelation.  God  always  furnishes  revelations  of 
duty  in  installments  according  to  the  necessities  of  the 
hour  and  the  measure  of  our  faith.  The  way  at  first  may 
seem  dark.  The  commands  of  God  may  seem  foolish  to 
the  demands  of  expediency.  Human  reason  may  stagger 
and  fall  and  refuse  to  go  farther.  But  to  the  eye  of  faith 
the  "  inventory  of  the  universe  is  in  heaven."  God  will  fur- 
nish himself  a  lamb  for  the  burnt-offering.  He  will  reveal 
place  and  method  when  the  hour  of  opportunity  strikes: 

"Lead,  kindly  Light,  amid  the  encircling  gloom, 

Lead  thou  me  on  ! 
The  night  is  dark,  and  I  am  far  from  home  ; 

Lead  thou  me  on  ! 
Keep  thou  my  feet ;  I  do  not  ask  to  see 
The  distant  scene  ;  one  step  enough  for  me." 

3.  A  Bible-reading  Traveler.  Not  a  novelty,  perhaps, 
in  those  days  of  religious  pilgrimage,  but  certainly  some- 
what of  a  novelty  to-day.  The  soul  is  not  much  advan- 
taged in  the  scenes  of  modern  travel.  Ocean  steamers 
and  vestibule-trains  have  little  to  conserve  spiritual 
thought.  How  seldom  do  we  see  the  Word  of  God  in  the 
hands  of  travelers  to-day!  If  you  want  to  be  conspic- 
uous and  regarded  as  a  little  "  cranky,"  take  your  Bible 
and  read  it  on  the  railroad  train.  The  newspaper,  the 
sensational  novel,  the  card-table — these  are  the  monop- 
olists of  the  time  of  the  American  traveler  to-day. 

"  Sunday  is  the  dullest  and  gloomiest  day  of  the  whole 


SIO  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

week,"  said  a  commercial  traveler  to  the  writer  not  long 
since.  What  a  dearth  of  soul-health  such  a  confession 
reveals !  With  free  churches  in  all  our  cities,  with  good 
singing  and  able  preaching  and  hearty  invitations  to  the 
house  of  God  pealing  from  church-bells,  Sunday  ought 
to  be  the  refreshing  oasis  in  the  care-burdened  life  of 
the  traveling  man.  A  Sabbath  day  in  a  strange  city  to 
such  a  man  as  the  Ethiopian  would  have  been  regarded 
as  a  day  of  privilege,  a  day  of  worship ;  for  just  such  a 
purpose  he  had  come  a  very  great  distance  to  worship  in 
Jerusalem,  and  his  religious  spirit  he  carried  with  him 
out  into  the  duties  of  the  secular  week.  He  had  gone 
"to  behold  the  beauty  of  the  Lord,  and  to  inquire  in  his 
temple."  His  soul  had  thus  been  stirred  to  a  sense  of 
deeper  need,  and  he  now  searches  the  Word  of  God  to 
see  with  spiritual  eyes  the  profound  meaning  of  those 
words  of  the  prophet :  "  He  was  led  as  a  sheep  to  the 
slaughter ;  and  like  a  lamb  dumb  before  his  shearer,  so 
opened  he  not  his  mouth,"  et  scq. 

This  Bible-reading  traveler  offered  Philip  a  better 
chance  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  him  than  the  average 
hearer  furnishes  the  preachers  of  to-day.  He  was  pre- 
pared for  the  message.  It  is  a  significant  statement  in 
the  lesson  that  Philip  "  opened  his  mouth,  and  began  at 
the  same  Scripture,  and  preached  unto  him  Jesus."  The 
eunuch  had  come  from  a  period  of  profound  meditation 
on  the  Word  of  God  to  hear  the  gospel  sermon.  PhiHp 
had  not  to  contend  with  a  hearer  who  had  come  from  the 
perusal  of  the  Sunday  newspaper  to  hear  the  sermon. 


PHILIP  AND    THE  ETHIOPIAN.  Sll 

The  latest  scandal  rehearsed  at  the  Sunday  breakfast- 
table  presented  no  obstacle  to  the  preaching  of  the  Word. 
How  differently  modern  audiences  would  listen  to  the 
words  of  teacher  and  preacher  if  they  were  to  come  to 
the  sanctuary  fresh  from  a  personal  study  of  the  Word  of 
God.  Many  times  have  we  heard  the  casual  remarks 
dropped  from  the  lips  of  the  careless  hearer  as  he  retired 
from  church:  "The  preacher  did  not  strike  me  to-day." 
"  He  did  not  reach  my  need."  "  I  don't  think  he  prepared 
that  sermon  with  his  usual  care."  Dear  friend,  what 
about  your  preparation  as  a  hearer  by  an  hour's  thought 
on  the  Word  of  God,  or  a  few  moments'  earnest  medita- 
tion on  the  interests  of  your  soul  before  you  heard  that 
sermon  ?  You  come  from  the  wild  clamor  of  the  stock- 
exchange  ;  you  come  from  the  cankering  cares  of  the 
business  week ;  you  come  from  the  late  Saturday  even- 
ing pleasure-party ;  you  come  from  a  six  days'  constant 
contact  with  mad  efforts  to  gain  that  which  perishes  with 
the  using,  and  expect  the  man  in  the  pulpit  to  banish  all 
this  influence  in  the  short  hour  of  service,  and  feed  you 
with  the  "  bread  of  life  "  without  one  moment's  prepara- 
tion by  earnest  prayer  or  devout  reading.  Shame,  O 
man  of  gospel  privileges  and  open  Bible  !  Let  this  man 
of  Ethiopia  rise  up  and  rebuke  your  wicked  presumption. 
Again,  this  Bible-reading  traveler  had  some  difficulties 
in  the  way  of  his  receiving  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  He 
had  his  doubts,  as  we  all  have.  But  he  did  not  make  an 
idol  of  his  doubts  and  set  it  up  as  an  object  of  worship. 
Honest  doubt  is  to  be  respected,  and  when  it  is  honest 


312  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

God  will  provide  a  way  for  its  removal,  as  he  did  in  the 
case  of  Thomas:  "Lord,  I  believe;  help  thou  mine  un- 
belief," will  be  answered  in  full  when  the  soul  ventures 
to  exercise  its  little  faith,  seeking  thus  to  prove  God 
rather  than  by  sending  his  doubts  out  as  a  picket-line, 
and  demanding  the  Saviour  to  come  through  challenged 
before  he  can  enter  the  heart. 

Almost  in  the  same  breath  whereby  the  Ethiopian 
expressed  his  doubt  he  uttered  the  words  of  his  con- 
fession of  faith,  "  I  believe  that  Jesus  Christ"  is  the  Son 
of  God,  and  that  moment  the  recording  angel  wrote 
his  name  in  the  Book  of  Life.  That  faith  he  sealed  in 
baptism,  thus  uniting  himself  with  the  followers  of  Jesus 
in  the  Church,  and  bearing  back  to  his  home  the  first- 
fruits  of  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  as  Saviour  and  Lord. 

4.  The  Rejoicing  Christian.  Our  Bible  story  ends  well. 
The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  caught  away  Philip,  and  the 
eunuch  went  on  his  way  rejoicing.  Philip  had  been  the 
instrument  of  converting  the  eunuch  to  Christ,  not  to 
the  preacher.  The  soul  that  truly  finds  Christ  does  not 
backslide  when  the  evangelist  goes  away,  or  when  the 
minister  changes  his  appointment.  He  is  in  possession 
of  the  divine  Comforter  as  companion.  The  man  has 
entered  a  life  of  trust  whose  elements  are  joy  and  peace 
in  the  Holy  Ghost.  He  sees  divine  things,  a  new  heaven 
and  a  new  earth,  bluer  skies  than  even  the  Orient  shows, 
greener  fields  than  ever  greeted  his  vision  before.  O, 
the  hour  never  to  be  forgotten  in  the  life  of  the  believer, 
is  that  hour  when  the  sorrowing,  sighing,  sinning  soul  is 


PHILIP  AND    THE  ETHIOPIAN,  SIS 

christened  in  the  experience  of  regeneration  with  the 
new  name  in  the  "  Lamb's  Book  of  Life." 

Reader,  we  have  not  truly  found  Christ  unless  we  find 
joy  in  his  service.  A  cool  critic  stood  before  one  of  Turn- 
er's gorgeous  skies  all  ablaze  with  the  glories  of  sunset, 
and  said  to  the  artist :  "  I  never  see  such  colors  of  cloud 
as  you  paint."  "  Don't  you  wish  you  could  ?  "  said  Turner. 
"  As  for  me,  I  never  can  begin  to  paint  the  glories  I  see." 

So  with  the  Christian.  "  Eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear 
heard,  neither  have  entered  into  the  heart  of  man  the 
things  which  God  hath  prepared  for  them  that  love  him." 
Friends  of  Jesus,  if  we  are  ever  to  be  happy  in  heaven, 
the  basis  of  that  holy  joy  must  be  laid  in  our  life  with 
Christ  in  this  world. 

The  eunuch  had  come  from  far-off  Ethiopia  with  his 

burden  of  sin  ;  he  was  going  back  home  very  much  in  the 

same  condition.     The    Holy  Spirit  turned  his  attention 

to  salvation  through  the  cross  of  Christ.     He  accepted 

the  sacrifice,  he  received  pardon,  he  went  on  his  way 

rejoicing.     Christian  teachers,  many  scholars  will  gather 

in  our  classes  for  the  study  of  this  lesson.     The  prodigal 

will  come  leaning  on  his  broken  staff.     The  gay  young 

lady  will  come  with  the  look  of  feasting  in  her  face,  but 

with  famine  in  her  soul.     The  indifferent  pleasure-seeker 

will   be  there.     The   tempted  and  fallen  will   be  there. 

Must  they  go  away  as  they  came  ?     May  each  one  of  us 

be  the  instrument  in  the  hands  of  the  Holy  Spirit  of  so 

showing  some  souls  the  Cross  that  they  may  go  down  to 

their  homes  rejoicing  in  the  Lord.         E.  M.  Taylor. 
14 


314  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 


XIII* 
THE  LORD'S  SUPPER. 

I  Cor.  xi,  23-32, 

GOLDEN  TEXT. — Let  a  man  examine  himself,  and  so  let  him  eat 
of  that  bread,  and  drink  of  that  cup.     i  Cor.  xi,  28. 

We  cannot  read  Paul's  account  of  the  first  celebration 
of  the  Lord's  Supper  without  being  impressed  with  the 
wonderful  simplicity  of  the  ordinance  as  administered 
by  Christ  himself.  How  different  from  the  pomp  and 
ceremony  with  which  it  is  attended  in  some  modern 
churches  !  Who,  for  instance,  would  recognize  in  the  cele- 
bration of  the  Mass  in  the  Church  of  Rome  the  com- 
memoration of  that  simple  yet  expressive  feast  which 
Jesus  instituted  with  his  disciples  in  the  little  room  at 
Jerusalem  on  the  night  of  his  betrayal  ? 

It  is  surely  a  painful  evidence  of  the  weakness  and 
corruption  of  the  human  heart  that  the  beauty  and 
simplicity  of  this  divine  institution  should  have  been 
so  distorted  and  mystified  in  subsequent  ages  of  the 
Church. 

In  seeking  to  study  this  important  ordinance  of  the 
Christian  Church  it  is  well  that  we  can  do  so  in  the 
light  of, 

I.  Its   First  Institution,     Paul  takes  us  back  to 

*  No  homily  is  given  for  Lesson  XII,  which  is  a  review. 


THE  LORD'S  SUPPER.  315 

the  original  sources  of  knowledge  on  this  subject.  What 
he  teaches  on  this  matter  he  "received  of  the  Lord." 
This  is  much  better  than  human  authority.  Just  when 
and  in  what  manner  he  received  this  information  he  does 
not  tell,  and  we  need  not  waste  time  in  idle  conjectures 
concerning  it.     He  simply  states  the  fact. 

(i)  The  time  of  the  supper  was  "the  same  night  that 
he  was  betrayed."  Hence  the  ordinance  is  properly 
styled  the  Lord's  Supper. 

The  early  disciples  also  chose  the  evening  hour  as  the 
time  for  administering  this  ordinance.  Just  why  the 
Church  has  so  generally  fallen  into  the  custom  of  having 
the  communion  at  a  morning  hour  is  not  very  clear ;  but 
it  is  safe  to  conclude  that  the  particular  hour  of  the  day 
is  not  a  matter  of  importance,  the  simple  command,  or 
request,  being  "As  oft  as  ye  do  it,"  "  do  it  in  remembrance 
of  me,"  nothing  being  stated  as  to  the  particular  time 
of  celebrating  the  eucharistic  feast.  As  to  the  frequency 
of  its  occurrence  as  suggested  by  the  words  just  quoted, 
it  may  be  noticed  that  the  early  Church  observed  the 
ordinance  every  Lord's  day,  and  possibly  more  frequently. 
There  is  no  hint  that  it  was  to  be  annually  observed,  like 
the  feast  of  the  passover,  nor,  on  the  other  hand,  need  we 
conclude  that  the  practice  of  the  early  Church  in  cele- 
brating the  ordinance  every  Sabbath  is  binding  upon  us. 
Those  Churches  that  make  it  a  monthly  observance  may 
be  regarded  as  keeping  the  spirit  of  the  New  Testament 
injunction. 

(2)    The  elements  employed  were  simply  the  bread  and 


316  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

the  wine  as  used  in  the  passover  feast.  The  bread  and 
the  cup  are  referred  to  again  and  again,  with  no  hint 
that  these  simple  elements  were  changed  into  the  body 
and  blood  of  Christ,  as  taught  by  the  Romish  Church. 
This  monstrous  doctrine,  which  offends  the  sense  and 
contradicts  the  reason,  arose  in  the  ninth  century,  and 
received  the  official  sanction  of  the  Church  of  Rome  in 
the  thirteenth.  It  has  been  the  fruitful  source  of  a  mul- 
titude of  errors  and  superstitions.  It  changes  what  was  in- 
tended to  be  a  beautiful  memorial  of  Christ's  passion  and 
death  into  a  sacrificing  of  Christ.  Instead  of  his  being  the 
sacrifice  once  offered  for  the  sins  of  the  people,  they 
would  have  us  believe  that  he  is  being  perpetually  of- 
fered as  a  sacrifice  at  the  hands  of  the  priest.  Hence 
has  followed  in  that  Church  the  custom  of  elevating  the 
host  to  receive  the  reverence  of  the  people,  the  wor- 
ship of  the  elements,  as  the  real  worship  of  Christ,  bear- 
ing them  in  public  procession  through  the  streets  and 
into  the  country  ^s  a  means  of  dispensing  some  mystic 
blessing  among  the  inhabitants;  and  so  on  to  the  end 
of  this  sad  chapter  of  perverted  doctrine.  In  what  strik- 
ing and  beautiful  contrast  with  all  this  are  the  words 
of  the  apostle :  "  As  often  as  ye  eat  this  bread,  and 
drink  this  cup,  ye  do  shew  the  Lord's  death  till  he 
come." 

(3)  TJianksgiving.  Another  thing  that  we  observe  in 
connection  with  Christ's  institution  of  this  ordinance  is 
the  thanksgivhig.  In  the  matter  of  "  giving  thanks  "  at 
meals  Jesus  has  set  us  a  commendable  example,  and  by 


THE  LORD'S  SUPPER.  317 

his  conduct  in  this  respect  administers  a  severe  rebuke  to 
those  graceless  souls  who  sit  down  to  their  well-loaded 
tables  without  a  single  recognition  of  the  Giver  of  their 
daily  bread.  But  the  thanksgiving  on  this  occasion  was 
somewhat  out  of  the  usual  order.  It  occurs  at  the  close 
of  the  passover  meal,  at  which  time  he  goes  on  to  insti- 
tute for  his  people  a  new  feast  with  a  new  meaning,  and 
to  commemorate  a  more  glorious  deliverance  than  that 
from  Egyptian  bondage.  It  was  for  "  the  remission  of 
sins,"  and  deliverance  from  its  cruel  thraldom,  that  the 
Lamb  of  God  was  slain.  The  thanksgiving,  therefore,  may 
properly  be  regarded  as  a  grateful  recognition  of  the  "  true 
bread  "  which  came  down  from  heaven,  of  which,  if  a 
man  eat,  he  shall  never  hunger. 

It  is  just  possible  that  the  modern  idea  of  "  consecrat- 
ing the  elements  "  is  a  perversion  of  Christ's  act  and 
meaning — a  sort  of  inheritance  which  we  have  received 
from  the  "  Mother  CJnirchy  Christ  simply  taught  us  to 
give  thanks  in  connection  with  the  receiving  of  the  bread 
and  wine  which  represents  his  broken  body  and  shed 
blood. 

2.  The  Design  of  the  Ordinance  was  (i)  to  keep  ever 
before  the  minds  of  the  Church  the  great  fact  of  Christ's 
death  for  us.  The  command  is,  "  Do  this  in  remem- 
brance of  me."  The  ordinance,  therefore,  is  commemora- 
tive, and  not  sacrificial.  It  is  a  beautiful  memorial  of  this 
the  greatest  event  in  the  world's  history.  The  desire  to 
commemorate  events  that  are  related  to  us  is  strongly 
implanted  in  the  human  heart.     We  see  this  in  all  eyes 


S18  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

and  among  all  peoples.  Jacob  set  up  his  rude  pillar  of 
stones  at  Bethel  to  commemorate  the  wonderful  night- 
vision  ;  Samuel  gratefully  raised  his  Ebenezer  between 
Mizpeh  and  Shen,  saying,  "  Hitherto  hath  the  Lord 
helped  us."  The  passover  feast  was  another  memorial 
to  keep  alive  in  the  memories  of  Israel  their  wonderful 
deliverance  out  of  Egypt.  The  history  of  God's  ancient 
people  is  full  of  these  reminders  of  divine  mercies  and 
blessings. 

So  likewise  the  Lord's  Supper  is  designed  to  keep  ever 
before  the  minds  of  his  people  the  fact  of  the  great  love 
of  Him  who  loved  us  unto  the  death.  "  As  often  as  ye 
eat  this  bread,  and  drink  this  cup,  ye  do  show  the  Lord's 
death  till  he  come."  It  points  us  backward  to  the  cross, 
and  forward  to  his  coming  again.  We  shall  do  well, 
therefore,  to  keep  this  simple  view  of  the  ordinance  in 
in  mind.     It  is  thus  that  it  becomes: 

(2)  A  precious  means  of  grace.  It  is  a  visible  sermon 
which  makes  its  appeal  through  the  eye  to  the  heart.  It 
preaches  Christ,  and  him  crucified.  Properly  celebrated 
it  makes  a  powerful  impression  upon  the  unconverted. 
Albert  Barnes  has  said  that  it  is  not  designed  nor 
adapted  to  be  a  converting  ordinance.  But  I  am  not  so 
sure  of  this.  I  was  present  once  at  a  very  solemn  and 
feeling  administration  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  During  the 
last  invitation  to  the  table  the  minister  referred  in  a 
touching  manner  to  the  fact  that  the  bread  and  the  wine 
represented  the  broken  body  and  shed  blood  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ — the  atoning   death  of  our  Saviour. 


THE  LORD'S  SUPPER.  319 

He  then  said,  "  If  there  is  any  one  present  who  desires 
personally  to  receive  the  benefit  of  his  death  and  passion, 
and  is  willing  to  confess  his  faith  in  him  and  love  for 
him,  do  so  by  coming  forward  and  partaking  of  the 
emblems  of  his  sacrificial  death."  At  once  an  intelligent 
young  lady  arose,  and,  bursting  into  tears,  came  down 
the  aisle  weeping,  and  bowed  with  others,  and  received 
the  holy  sacrament.  Nor  did  the  Lord  turn  her  empty 
away,  for  she  was  instantly  and  beautifully  saved  in  that 
act  of  appropriating  Christ,  and  continued  a  devoted 
Christian.  The  invitation  of  the  preacher  and  the 
prompt  action  of  the  young  woman  were,  no  doubt,  some- 
what out  of  the  usual  order,  but  the  incident  serves  well 
to  illustrate  the  important  fact  that  the  ordinance  may 
be  so  administered  as  to  be  a  most  effective  way  of 
preaching  Christ,  and  him  crucified,  and  to  become  a  real 
means  of  grace  not  only  to  saints,  but  to  perishing  sin- 
ners as  well. 

And  who  will  say  that  such  occurrences  might  not  be 
much  more  frequent  if  this  central  fact  of  the  ordinance 
were  made  more  prominent  ? 

The  grace,  of  course,  is  not  communicated  through  any 
supernatural  power  inhering  in  the  elements,  nor  in  the 
person  administering  them,  nor  yet  in  the  sacramental 
rite  as  a  whole.  It  is  simply  a  natural  and  rational 
means  of  grace.  As  the  ordinance  serves  to  set  forth  in 
a  lively  and  impressive  manner  Christ's  sufferings  and 
death  for  us,  it  becomes  a  powerful  means  of  awakening 
and  stimulating  our  love  toward  him.     When  we  intelli- 


SSO  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

gently  receive  the  elements  of  bread  and  wine,  we  by 
faith  appropriate  Christ  to  our  souls. 

3.  Who  Shall  Partake  of  It?  This  is  a  question 
that  needs  some  consideration,  especially  in  view  of  the 
well-known  practice  of  the  Church  of  Rome  in  withhold- 
ing the  cup  from  the  laity. 

The  plain  inference  from  the  record  of  the  first  institu- 
tion of  it  by  Christ  is  that  all  of  the  disciples  (with  the 
possible  exception  of  Judas)  received  the  bread,  and  in 
regard  to  the  wine,  the  express  words  of  Jesus  are, 
"  Drink  ye  all  of  it."  In  view  of  such  a  command  the 
practice  of  the  Romish  Church  appears  very  strange  in- 
deed. They  attempt  to  justify  it,  it  is  true,  by  saying 
that  as  the  bread  is  by  the  consecrating  act  of  the  priest 
changed  into  the  real  body  of  Christ,  it  necessarily  con- 
tains the  blood,  and  hence  the  laity  receive  both  kinds 
when  they  receive  the  wafer.  But  consistency  would  re- 
quire that  the  priests  receive  the  blood  of  Christ  in  the 
same  manner,  and  thus  dispense  with  the  cup  entirely. 
The  fact  that  they  do  not  shows  that  it  is  a  mere  subter- 
fuge for  disregarding  the  unmistakable  command  of 
Christ.  The  plain  words  of  our  Lord,  as  well  as  the  prac- 
tice of  the  early  Church,  teach  us  that  this  sacrament  is 
not  only  for  the  priesthood,  or  ministry,  but  for  all  of  his 
followers.  The  same  conclusion  is  reached  from  the  anal- 
ogy of  the  paschal  feast.  All  of  the  families  of  Israel 
and  all  of  each  family  partook  of  the  paschal  lamb. 
Christ  is  our  passover,  and  the  conclusion  by  analogy  is 
plain  that  all  the  members  of  the  true  Israel  should  par- 


THE  LORD'S  SUPPER.  321 

take  of  the  slain  Lamb.  Again,  as  the  Lord's  Supper  is 
a  means  of  grace,  all  alike  should  share  its  blessings,  as 
all  alike  need  them,  and  would  naturally  desire  to  ex- 
press their  love  for  the  Author  of  these  mercies. 

But  the  very  nature  of  the  ordinance  is  such  that  the 
sinful,  the  ungodly,  the  irreligious,  and  the  impenitent 
should  not  come  to  the  communion-table  of  the  Lord. 
For  such  do  not  in  the  proper  sense  "  discern  the  Lord's 
body." 

The  ordinance  is  an  outward  expression  by  the  partici- 
pant of  faith  in  Christ  as  his  personal  Saviour,  of  obedi- 
ence to  him  as  his  Lord,  and  of  loving  gratitude  to  him 
for  his  saving  mercy.  These  are  the  essential  elements 
of  an  evangelical  faith,  and  they  are  all  wanting  in  the 
class  of  persons  to  whom  I  have  referred.  For  the  unbe- 
lieving, disobedient,  and  unthankful  to  come  to  the 
Lord's  table  is  to  profane  this  holy  ordinance  and  cru- 
cify the  Lord  afresh.  Such,  the  apostle  tells  us,  are 
"guilty  of  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ." 

He  who  approaches  this  table,  therefore,  should  do  it 
with  great  thoughtfulness  and  reverence,  lest  he  come 
into  judgment  and  condemnation.  Let  him  "  examine 
himself"  that  he  may  know  that  he  is  worthy  to  come  to 
so  solemn  and  sacred  a  feast.  But  let  not  the  timid  and 
self-distrusting  Christian  be  thus  deterred  from  coming 
to  the  Supper  of  the  Lord  for  fear  of  eating  and  drinking 
unworthily,  for  such  are  usually  among  the  most  worthy. 
Those  who  are  charged  with  the  responsibility  of  ad- 
ministering this  holy  ordinance  should  exercise  great 
14* 


322  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

care  and  wisdom  not  to  discourage  the  morbidly  con- 
scientious, while  trying  to  arouse  the  careless  to  thought- 
fulness  and  self-examination. 

Come,  all  who  truly  bear 

The  name  of  Christ  your  Lord, 
His  last  mysterious  supper  share, 

And  keep  his  kindest  word. 
Hereby  your  faith  approve 

In  Jesus  crucified : 
"  In  memory  of  my  dying  love, 

Do  this,"  he  said — and  died. 

R.  C.  Glass. 


FOURTH   QUARTER. 


I. 

SAUL  OF  TARSUS  CONVERTED. 

Acts  ix,  I-20. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— Except  a  man  be   born  again,   he  cannot  see 
the   kingdom   of  God.     John  iii,  3. 

Saul  of  Tarsus  was  on  the  road  to  conversion  long 
before  he  entered  the  road  to  Damascus.  Though  living 
in  the  atmosphere  of  "  threatenings  and  slaughter,"  he 
was  not  removed  from  the  region  of  divine  conviction. 
The  seeds  of  spiritual  suggestion  had  entered  the  perse- 
cutor's heart  at  the  stoning  of  Stephen,  and  they  came 
to  full  fruition  during  the  long  silence  and  loneliness  of 
that  memorable  six  days'  journey.  Bethel,  Shiloh,  and 
Sychar,  where  were  Jacob's  well  and  Joseph's  tomb  ; 
Mount  Gilboa,  where  his  great  namesake  was  slain  ; 
Tabor,  wooded  to  its  very  top,  from  which  centuries  be- 
fore Barak's  hosts  had  descended  in  battle,  and  "  the 
stars  in  their  courses  fought  against  Sisera ;  "  Carmel, 
where  God  answered  Elijah  by  fire,  were  associations  on 
his  way  which  may  have  furnished  the  spiritual  heat 
that  tended  to  hasten  the  growth  of  these  seeds  in  this 
young  man's  soul. 

It  will  not  do  for  us  to  underestimate  the  power  of 
little  things  in  the  soul's  conversion.  The  chance  word 
of  a  friend,  a  suggestive  passage  of  some  book,  the  con- 
secrated life  of  a  Christian  mother,  have  been  the  begin- 


S26  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

nings  that  have  caused  many  a  spiritual  desert  ultimate- 
ly to  blossom  like  the  rose. 

Genuine  conversions  are  never  sudden  conversions  in 
the  sense  that  they  are  suddenly  wrought  by  the  divine 
hand  upon  some  soul  which  has  never  had  previous 
spiritual  enlightenment.  It  is  true  that  "  as  he  jour- 
neyed .  .  .  suddenly  there  shined  round  about  him  a 
light  from  heaven;"  but  it  would  be  far  from  the  truth 
for  us  to  affirm  that  up  to  this  time  Saul  of  Tarsus  had 
had  not  been  taught  of  God. 

Neither  is  it  true  that  his  was  a  mind  unsettled  and 
uneasy  in  its  intellectual  and  moral  beliefs.  O"  the  con- 
trary, he  was  an  ardent  Jew,  inheriting  and  taking  pride 
in  all  the  traditional  beliefs,  historic  glories,  and  Messi- 
anic hopes  of  the  Jews.  His  judgment  about  things 
could  not  be  easily  moved  and  radically  changed  at  a 
bound.  Clear  and  analytic,  cool  and  logical,  we  expect 
such  minds  to  move  slowly  and  reach  decisions  deliberate- 
ly— above  all,  when  such  a  decision  changes  entirely  all 
previous  views  and  feelings,  as  it  did  with  Saul  of  Tarsus. 

The  zeal  which  sent  Saul  to  the  high-priest,  desiring 
of  him  letters  to  Damascus,  was  not  that  of  a  Peter  who 
drew  his  sword  and  smote  off  the  ear  of  the  high-priest's 
servant.  The  one  was  but  the  blazing  forth  of  a  sudden 
excitement,  the  other  was  the  deep-bedded  furnace-heat 
of  profound  conviction  and  sense  of  duty.  "  I  verily 
thought  I  ought  to  do  many  things  contrary  to  the  name 
of  Jesus  of  Nazareth." 

Now,  although  Saul  was  the  possessor  of  these  quali- 


SAUL    OF    TARSUS   CONVERTED.  S27 

ties  of  mind  and  heart  which  we  have  mentioned,  his 
conversion  was  not  out  of  harmony  with  the  circum- 
stances of  the  case.  God  comes  to  different  men  by 
different  methods  of  approach.  The  Ethiopian  eunuch, 
quietly  reading  the  words  of  Isaiah,  needed  the  calm  in- 
struction of  a  Philip.  But  a  Saul,  "  yet  breathing  out 
threatenings  and  slaughter,"  could  be  reached  only  by  a 
special  manifestation  of  the  power  of  God.  With  such 
a  man  it  were  impossible  to  reason,  therefore  God  strikes 
him  to  the  ground.  But  he  strikes  him  to  the  ground 
that  he  may  raise  him  up  again,  in  every  sense  a  new 
and  better  man. 

In  that  crisis-hour  of  his  existence  this  man,  like  every 
other  genuine  convert  to  divine  truth  the  world  has  ever 
seen,  was  overwhelmingly  surprised  to  find  himself 
sought  after  by  the  very  Truth  he  ignorantly  fought 
against ;  and,  trembling  and  astonished,  he  said  :  "  Lord, 
what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ?  "  It  is  the  first  marvel 
of  every  seeker  after  God  that  long  before  he  began  his 
search  God  was  seeking  him  out  from  among  the  chil- 
dren of  men.  The  divine  love  runs  out  far  ahead  of  even 
our  first  impulses  toward  the  truth,  and  is  waiting  to 
reveal  itself  unto  us. 

Whatever  else  may  have  been  true  about  this  Judean 
rabbi,  this  is  certain,  he  was  honest  in  what  he  did.  The 
essential  element  of  honesty,  which  Jesus  ever  seems  to 
demand  of  every  convert,  lies  in  the  spirit  of  readiness 
to  inquire  for  some  new  hint  or  suggestion  of  service  for 
Christ  which  the  individual  may  follow  out  in  his  every- 


SS8  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

day  life.  The  heathen  may  be  honest  in  his  devotion 
as  he  bows  down  to  blocks  of  wood  and  stone,  but  once 
convinced  of  the  truth  of  the  God  of  the  Bible,  he  can- 
not remain  an  honest  man  if  he  persists  in  clinging  to 
his  idolatry.  No  more  can  any  soul  convinced  of  its  own 
sinfulness  and  of  its  need  of  a  Saviour  remain  honest  if 
it  does  not  at  once  ask  the  question,  "  Lord,  what  wilt 
thou  have  me  to  do  ?  " 

Christ  becomes  a  terrible  bar  of  judgment  when  we 
come  face  to  face  with  him,  listen  to  his  teachings,  un- 
derstand what  he  asks  of  us,  and  turn  our  backs  on  his 
claims.  Unconditional  surrender  is  the  first  demand 
after  we  realize  that  Christ  is  the  Saviour.  The  sincere 
persecutor  must  become  at  once  the  sincere  repenter,  for 
it  takes  a  sincere  repenter  to  make  a  sincere  seeker  after 
God.  How  long  does  it  take  a  sincere  seeker  to  become 
a  converted  individual  ?  Not  an  instant.  The  honest 
seeker  after  God  must  first  be  "  turned  about  "  before 
he  can  even  begin  his  search  for  God.  Saul  of  Tarsus 
was  "  turned  about  "  when  he  recognized  the  Lord  whom 
he  had  persecuted,  and  asked  what  he  would  have  him 
do.  But  was  Saul  of  Tarsus  then  a  Christian  ?  The  an- 
swer to  this  will  depend  on  what  is  meant  by  being  a 
Christian.  If  "despair  of  self  and  trust  in  God,"  with 
the  purpose  of  doing  his  will,  whatever  that  may  be, 
makes  a  Christian,  then  Saul  was  a  Christian  when  he 
groped  his  way  through  the  Damascus  streets,  led  by 
the  hand  of  an  attendant.  But  if  a  Christian  is  only  one 
who  has  been  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  then  was  Saul 


SAUL   OF    TARSUS  CONVERTED.  S29 

not  a  Christian  till  three  days  later,  when,  in  answer  to 
the  word  of  Ananias,  he  "  received  his  sight  forthwith, 
and  arose,  and  was  baptized."  While  we  would  enter 
into  no  hair-splitting  discussion  of  this  point  as  to  just 
where  Saul's  Christianity  began,  we  are  among  the 
number  of  those  who  believe  that  whenever  any  soul 
sick  of  sin  looks  into  the  Word  of  God  with  the  high 
purpose  of  being  mastered  by  the  Christ  there  revealed, 
just  there  its  Christian  life  begins.  It  is  doubtless  true 
that  there  are  blessings  of  Christian  experience  on  the 
wing  for  that  soul  from  that  very  moment  which  it 
may  not  realize  for  some  time  to  come.  Thus  it  was 
with  Saul.  He  must  needs  wait  for  this  special  bless- 
ing. Why,  we  cannot  tell.  There  are  mysteries  of 
grace  as  well  as  of  other  realms  which  surround  us 
every-where.  To  those  who  are  willing  to  wait,  con- 
tinuing steadfast  in  prayer,  the  blessing  of  full  salvation 
is  sure  to  come.  It  came  to  Saul  when  "  there  fell  from 
his  eyes  as  it  had  been  scales  "  and  from  his  soul  the 
darkness  of  sin.  From  this  moment  he  was  ''  a  new 
creature  in  Christ  Jesus."  Old  things  had  passed  away; 
Saul  the  sinner  now  becomes  Paul  the  preacher. 

Thus  Wesley,  the  zealous  legalist,  though  not  the  per- 
secutor, "  going  about  to  establish  his  own  righteous- 
ness," had  not  submitted  to  the  righteousness  of  God 
until  that  hour  in  Aldersgate  Street.  Suddenly,  while  lis- 
tening to  instructions  drawn  from  the  great  epistle  of  this 
very  Paul,  he  felt  his  heart  strangely  warmed,  felt  that 
he  did   trust   Christ  for  all  and  was  saved.      Thus  the 


330  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

boy  Spurgeon,  in  a  little  Wesleyan  chapel,  heard  the 
words,  "  Young  man,  look  !  Look  to  Jesus  and  live  !  " 
"  And  I  looked,"  said  he,  "  and  was  saved."  Thus  always 
the  day  dawns  and  the  day-star  arises  in  human  hearts. 

"  Faith  lends  its  realizing  light, 

The  clouds  disperse,  the  shadows  fly  ; 

The  Invisible  appears  in  sight. 
And  God  is  seen  by  mortal  eye." 

The  work  suddenly  wrought  in  the  soul  of  this  man 
who  traveled  that  Damascus  road  so  long  ago  was  evi- 
dently intended  by  God  to  be  the  most  striking  example 
in  all  history  of  his  converting  power.  But  we  must  not 
forget  that  the  processes  of  conviction,  repentance,  and 
pardon,  and  the  saving  of  a  soul  under  the  discipline  and 
training  of  God,  are  the  same  in  every  age.  Different 
men  are  led  to  God  by  different  circumstances  ;  for  the 
providences  of  God  are  never  the  same  in  two  lives.  But 
when  the  soul  once  opens  itself  to  let  in  its  Maker,  he 
enters,  and  that  soul  is  regenerated  in  precisely  the 
same  manner  as  was  the  soul  of  Saul  of  Tarsus. 

It  is  not  given  unto  us,  as  unto  him,  to  have  a  personal 
vision  with  the  natural  eye  of  the  personal  Christ.  God 
does  not  need  to  teach  the  resurrection  to  every  age  as 
he  taught  it  to  that  of  Paul,  but  unto  every  one  of  us 
is  given  the  opportunity  of  realizing  the  power  of  his 
resurrection  by  being  born  again. 

Let  us  not,  then,  concern  ourselves  about  the  way  along 

which  God  shall  choose  to  come  to  our  souls.     Let  us 

only  ask  in  sincerity  that  he  come. 

A.  W.  TiRRELL. 


DORCAS  RAISED  TO  LIFE. 


II. 
DORCAS  RAISED  TO  LIFE. 

Acts  ix,  32-43. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— This  woman  was  full  of  good  works  and  alms- 
deeds  which  she  did.    Acts  ix,  36, 

If  Dorcas  was  raised  from  the  dead  in  answer  to  the 
prayer  of  faith,  why  may  not  many  other  saints  be  sim- 
ilarly raised  through  prayer  on  the  part  of  consecrated 
disciples  of  Jesus  Christ  ?  Would  the  same  faith  exer- 
cised by  the  same  parties  during  Dorcas's  ilhiess  have 
prevented  death  and  accomplished  the  restoration  of 
the  sick  ?  These  questions  are  intimately  connected 
with  a  subject  much  discussed  in  church  life — faith-heal- 
ing. Many  thoughtful  Christians  are  interesting  them- 
selves in  the  relations  of  disease  to  drugs  on  the  one 
hand,  and  to  prayer  on  the  other.  Some  think  that  they 
discern  general  promises  in  the  Scripture  that  cover 
all  classes  of  sicknesses,  and  that  warrant  the  believer  in 
dispensing  with  all  the  remedies  of  the  materia  medica ; 
faith,  and  faith  alone,  is  sufficient  for  recovery  from 
bodily  ailments.  Others,  Avho  are  not  able  to  read  into 
the  general  promises  that  which  is  claimed  by  the  "faith- 
healers,"  ask:  If  faith  be  potent  for  the  healing  of  dis- 
ease, why  should  holy  people  be  sick  at  all?  and  if  a 
sickness  is  unto  death,  why  should  not  the  prayer  of 


332  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

those  who  believe  in  faith-healing  be  able  to  raise  the 
dead  ? 

As  many  have  confused  ideas  on  this  important  topic 
it  may  be  profitable  to  define  the  boundaries  beyond 
which  faith  may  not  go,  and  to  state  the  area  within 
which  God  performs  miracles  upon  the  bodies  of  his 
saints.  The  character,  sickness,  death,  and  resurrection 
of  Dorcas  afford  an  admirable  opportunity  for  a  fresh 
study  of  this  phase  of  church  life. 

The  state  of  the  Church  at  the  time  when  this  incident 
took  place  needs  to  be  rehearsed. 

The  persecution  of  which  Saul  of  Tarsus  was  the 
recognized  leader  had  terrified  the  people,  and  many 
who  felt  the  claims  of  truth  were  afraid  to  avow  their 
convictions,  or  even  seem  to  be  interested  in  the  new 
religion.  The  few  converts  who  stood  the  test  of  im- 
prisonment and  threatened  death  were  refined  like  silver 
in  the  fire,  but  the  work  of  propagating  the  truth  went  on 
slowly.  But  when  the  chief  inquisitor  became  a  disciple 
of  the  Nazarene,  and  with  great  power  taught  from  the 
Scriptures  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ,  the  reign  of  terror 
was  broken,  and  men  breathed  freer.  "  Then  had  the 
church  rest  throughout  all  Judea." 

Mere  quietude,  however,  is  not  the  law  of  progress  ; 
something  was  needed  to  overcome  the  timidity  of  the 
church  at  Joppa,  and  to  awaken  the  attention  of  the 
money-making  people  of  that  sea-port  town.  God  had 
his  own  way  of  encouraging  the  faithful  and  arousing  the 
careless. 


DORCAS  RAISED    TO   LIFE.  333 

Dorcas  was  the  instrument  by  which  he  accomplished 
these  ends. 

The  faith  of  this  woman  was  of  the  highest  type.  Her 
belief  was  more  than  a  theological  assent  to  the  truth ; 
it  was  more  than  a  conviction  that  God  is  able  to  per- 
form all  he  has  promised  ;  it  was  more  than  the  repe- 
tition of  some  formula  of  doctrine  that  she  and  those  asso- 
ciated with  her  might  have  used  as  a  watchword  ;  her 
faith  worked  by  love  and  purified  the  heart.  "This 
woman  was  full  of  good  works  and  almsdeeds  which  she 
did."  The  Christian  who  is  abundant  in  mercies  has  the 
sympathetic  soul  of  the  Master.  A  heart  of  love  toward 
God  and  man  is  the  best  proof  of  the  very  highest  de- 
velopment of  faith.  "There  is  none  other  command- 
ment greater  than  these."  "If  ye  fulfill  the  royal  law 
according  to  the  Scripture,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neigh- 
bor as  thyself,  ye  do  well." 

Notwithstanding  the  faith  of  Dorcas,  "  It  came  to  pass 
in  those  days,  that  she  was  sick,  and  died." 

There  are  several  considerations  that  press  upon  us  in 
view  of  these  facts.  Sickness  is  not  necessarily  an  indica- 
tion of  sin  on  the  part  of  the  individual  attacked  by  dis- 
ease ;  some  of  the  holiest  people  are  those  who  have 
struggled  through  years  of  pain,  and  who  though  suffering 
intensely  have  always  been  in  a  triumphant  frame  of  mind. 

Neither  is  illness  to  be  attributed  to  a  lack  of  faith. 
It  is  presumable  that  Dorcas  used  the  ordinary  remedies, 
and  that  she  asked  God's  blessing  on  the  means;  but 
neither  remedies  nor  faith  availed ;  she  died. 


SSIf  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

It  is  God's  purpose  to  let  the  physical  forces  of  the 
universe  take,  in  most  instances,  the  natural  courses  he 
has  made  ;  he  has  good  reasons  why  diseases  should  be 
allowed  in  the  majority  of  cases  to  develop  through  the 
various  stages  of  their  natural  history.  Sometimes  we 
can  see  the  good  that  comes  to  us  from  illness  ;  not  unfre- 
quently  it  brings  forth  the  fruit  of  a  new  purpose ;  even  by 
death  good  may  come  to  those  who  live,  and  the  individ- 
ual, like  Samson,  slay  more  in  his  death  than  in  his  life. 

There  are  times,  however,  when  for  his  glory  God  in- 
terferes with  the  natural  order  of  things,  and  brings  to 
pass  supernatural  results.  Such  was  the  case  in  the 
resurrection  of  Dorcas's  body. 

When  loving  hands  had  performed  the  customary  rites, 
the  body  was  "laid  in  an  upper  chamber."  Great  was 
the  sorrow  in  that  stricken  household  ;  no  hired  mourn- 
ers were  necessary  when  widows  gathered  to  weep  to- 
gether over  a  common  loss,  and  rehearse  to  one  another 
the  good  deeds  done  by  her  to  their  fatherless  children, 
"  showing  the  coats  and  garments  which  Dorcas  made, 
while  she  was  with  them." 

As  the  church  members  turned  their  faces  heavenward, 
God  put  it  into  their  hearts  to  send  for  Peter,  a  dozen 
miles  away  at  Lydda.  Others  had  died  at  Joppa,  but 
God  had  not  put  it  into  the  minds  of  their  friends  to  send 
for  an  apostle.  The  Lord  himself  moved  the  friends  of 
Dorcas  to  do  this  ;  and  when  Peter  heard  the  request  of 
the  "two  men  "  sent,  the  Spirit  moved  him  to  respond. 
"  Then  Peter  arose  and  went  with  them." 


DORCAS  RAISED   TO  LIFE.  335 

Perhaps  Peter  had  not  the  slightest  idea  what  he 
would  be  called  upon  to  do,  but  he  started  out.  It 
would  be  very  interesting  to  us  had  Luke  recorded  the 
conversation  between  the  apostle  and  the  two  messen- 
gers as  they  walked  back  to  Joppa ;  perhaps  they  con- 
versed about  the  details  of  the  sickness  and  death  of 
this  excellent  lady,  spoke  of  the  grief  of  the  family,  de- 
plored the  great  loss  to  the  Church,  and  magnified  the 
opportunities  for  good  had  she  been  spared.  As  they 
journeyed,  convictions  sent  by  the  Spirit  of  God  formed 
in  Peter's  mind  ;  he  saw  the  possible  mission  of  such  a 
woman  raised  to  life  and  proclaiming  the  power  of  Je- 
sus in  covetous  Joppa ;  her  known  worth  would  make 
her  experience  more  striking  to  the  public  conscience. 
By  the  time  he  had  reached  the  city  he  had  received 
divine  illumination  as  to  the  course  that  ought  to  be 
pursued.  Entering  into  the  house,  "  Peter  put  them  all 
forth,"  that  his  mind  might  not  be  distracted  from  any 
suggestion  that  the  Spirit  might  make  to  him,  and  he 
"  kneeled  down  and  prayed." 

Others  equally  deserving  a  resurrection  had  died  and 
were  buried  without  a  word  of  prayer  for  their  resurrec- 
tion. Stephen,  "  a  man  full  of  faith  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,"  was  not  called  back  from  the  spirit-world.  It 
was  for  the  glory  of  God  that  the  first  martyr  was  taken 
by  "  devout  men"  from  the  bloody  stones  that  had  been 
hurled  at  and  upon  him  and  carried  "  to  his  burial."  It 
was  for  the  good  of  the  kingdom  of  God  that  Peter 
was  inspired  to  ask  for  the  return  of  Dorcas  to  her  work, 


336  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

and  Christ  heard  the  petition  he  had  himself  put  into 
his  servant's  heart.  Without  especial  illumination  the 
apostle  would  not  have  had  the  intelligent  faith  to  pray  ; 
but  with  the  direct  prompting  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
"  turning  him  to  the  body,"  he  said  :  "  Tabitha,  arise  !  " 
The  same  Voice  that  commanded  Peter  to  pray  ordered 
Dorcas  to  return  to  the  earth  and  re-animate  the  waiting 
dust.  Obedient  to  the  call,  she  re-entered  the  cold  form, 
"  opened  her  eyes  :  and  when  she  saw  Peter,  she  sat  up." 
The  apostle,  pursuing  the  same  policy  he  had  followed 
from  the  first,  and  using  all  natural  means  in  addition 
to  the  supernatural  power  bestowed,  "  gave  her  his  hand, 
and  lifted  her  up ;  and  when  he  had  called  the  saints 
and  widows,  he  presented  her  alive." 

TJie  Results.  There  was  joy  in  the  household  of  Dorcas ; 
the  night  of  weeping  had  passed  and  the  morning  of  joy 
had  come.  As  the  people  heard  of  the  wonderful  work 
that  had  been  wrought  it  became  a  sign  to  them  that  the 
Lord  was  in  the  midst,  "  and  it  was  known  throughout  all 
Joppa."  Men  who  scoffed  at  the  name  of  Jesus  accepted 
him  as  the  Messiah,  "  and  many  believed  in  the  Lord." 
The  revival  spread,  work  came  to  Peter  in  abundance, 
"  and  it  came  to  pass  that  he  tarried  many  days  in  Joppa." 
Prejudices  were  overcome — even  tanners  were  given  a 
standing — and  no  fault  was  found  with  the  apostle  because 
he  accepted  the  hospitality  of  "  one  Simon  a  tanner." 
Cries  of  mercy  were  heard  among  the  convicted,  and 
hallelujahs  among  the  delivered.  Lydda,  Joppa,  Cesa- 
rea!     As  Eneas  walked  about  Lydda  and  the  surround- 


DORCAS  RAISED   TO  LIFE.  837 

ing  country  telling  the  story  of  his  being  raised  by  Peter 
from  the  bed  on  which  he  had  laid  for  eight  years, 
"  Saron  saw  him,  and  turned  to  the  Lord  ;  "  Joppa  was 
thrilled  with  spiritual  life  at  the  resurrection  of  Dorcas ; 
and  Cesarea  was  visited  with  blessings  in  the  conversion 
of  Cornelius  and  in  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  that  "  fell 
on  all  them  which  heard  the  word."  The  results  abun- 
dantly justified  the  exhibition  of  miraculous  power  in 
these  three  cities. 

The  inferences  drawn  from  the  healing  of  Eneas  and 
the  raising  of  Dorcas,  so  far  as  the  topic  in  hand  is  con- 
cerned, may  now  be  stated  : 

1.  Holiness  is  not  a  bar  to  disease,  although  a  Chris- 
tian life  tends  to  health  and  longevity. 

2.  Remedies  are  to  be  used  under  the  advice  of  skilled 
physicians. 

3.  God  usually  permits  diseases  to  run  through  the 
varied  stages  of  their  natural  history.  Sometimes  medi- 
cine arrests  the  development  of  disease,  and  the  vital 
forces  effect  cure ;  at  other  times  disease  reaches  its 
climax,  subsides,  and  recovery  is  reached  without  either 
prayer  or  medicine.  Again,  diseases  terminate  in  death. 
These  things  happen  alike  to  saints  and  sinners ;  yet 
God  works  them  all  into  his  beneficent  plans,  and  makes 
them  "  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  "  him. 

4.  There  are  times,  however,  when  it  is  for  the  glory 
of  God's  kingdom  that  the  Head  of  the  Church  should 
arrest  disease  by  the  direct  action  of  his  own  Spirit. 

5.  When  it  is  the  purpose  of  Christ  to  "  bear  our  sick- 

15 


S38  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

nesses,"  he  illuminates  the  minds  of  certain  faithful  dis- 
ciples, impressing  them  with  the  belief  that  a  petition 
offered  for  healing  will  be  granted. 

6.  Faith  exercised  upon  the  gift  of  especial  illumination 
will  be  honored. 

7.  No  person  has  been  raised  from  the  dead  since 
apostolic  times  ;  therefore  no  illumination  has  been  given 
for  this  purpose  ;  supposed  illuminations  have  been  hal- 
lucinations. In  the  cases  of  healing,  trustworthy  exam- 
ples are  not  wanting  ;  yet  the  instances  are  comparatively 
rare,  and  great  care  is  necessary  to  distinguish  between 
the  illumination  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the  hallucination 
of  our  own  spirit.  In  the  vast  majority  of  diseases  it  is 
the  will  of  God  that  we  should  ask  him  to  bless  the  reme- 
dies used,  and  then  be  resigned  to  the  result. 

8.  The  highest  type  of  faith  expresses  its  needs  accord- 
ing to  the  best  knowledge  at  the  time,  and  trustfully 
leaves  the  outcome  to  Him  who  has  said,  "  Your  Father 
knoweth  what  things  ye  have  need  of  before  ye  ask  him." 
It  often  requires  more  faith  to  resign  one's  self  calmly 
to  death,  and  commit  orphan  children  to  the  care  of  the 
Lord,  than  it  does  to  claim  a  supposed  general  promise, 
by   the   belief  and  appropriation  of  which  recovery  is 

anticipated. 

J.   M.    DURRELL. 


PETER'S    VISION.  SS9 


III. 
PETER'S  VISION. 

Acts  X,    I-20. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— Of  a  truth  I  perceive  that  God  is  no  respecter 
of  persons.     Acts  x,  34. 

The  record  of  the  advance  of  the  young  Church  gives 
in  quick  succession  three  typical  conversions :  first,  that 
of  the  eunuch,  a  foreigner,  but  a  proselyte  to  the  Jewish 
faith  ;  secondly,  that  of  Saul,  born  and  bred  a  Jew  ;  third- 
ly, this  of  Cornelius,  a  Gentile  seeker  after  God.  Within 
the  range  of  these  experiences  the  whole  world  was 
compassed.  When  the  Holy  Spirit  fell  upon  the  house- 
hold in  Cesarea  a  great  question  was  finally  settled,  for 
none  could  doubt  that  the  Gentiles  were  to  find  Christ 
without  carrying  over  into  the  new  kingdom  of  peace 
the  now  useless  ritualism  of  the  Jews. 

"  The  conversion  of  Gentiles  was  no  new  idea  to 
Jews  or  Christians,  but  it  had  been  universally  regarded 
as  to  take  place  by  their  reception  into  Judaism." — Al- 
ford on  Acts  yi,  i.  But,  further,  there  were  some  disci- 
ples who  were  already  shaking  themselves  free  from 
the  prejudices  of  their  fathers.  The  Cyprian  and  Cyre- 
nian  missionaries  had  preached  Jesus,  free  from  Juda- 
ism, to  "Greeks"  (Acts  xi,  20)  before  Peter  reached 
Cesarea.     But  the  probable  conflict  between  old  preju- 


S40  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

dices  and  new-found  privileges  would  shake  the  young 
Church  into  embittered  sects.  The  highest  apostolic 
sanction  for  an  unfettered  Gospel  was  the  need  of  the 
hour. 

I.  The  Vision  of  the  Roman  (vers.  i-8).  The  home  of 
Cornelius  lay  thirty  miles  north  of  Joppa.  Built  by 
Herod  the  Great  in  honor  of  CjEsar  Augustus,  the  seat 
of  the  Roman  rule  in  the  land  of  the  Jews,  a  city  of 
splendor,  with  spacious  artificial  haven,  having  a  temple 
erected  to  the  emperor  that  held  his  statue  as  Olympian 
Zeus,  and  lying,  as  it  did,  within  the  sacred  territory, 
yet  a  center  of  Grecian  influence  and  plagued  by  the 
corruptions  of  a  pagan  worship,  Cesarea  afforded  every 
possible  phase  of  contrast  to  the  age-long  intolerance  of 
Peter's  countrymen. 

The  gap  between  the  fisherman  and  the  soldier  is  wid- 
ened by  every  added  ray  of  light  that  falls  upon  the 
scene.  The  soldier's  name  calls  up  the  Cornelian  gens, 
none  nobler  in  Rome,  "  borne  by  the  Scipios,  and  by 
Sulla,  and  the  mother  of  the  Gracchi."  Rome's  wide 
empire  flashed  before  the  eye  of  this  true-born  Italian, 
nor  could  he  dream  that  faith  in  a  Nazarene  peasant 
would  give  the  Cornelian  name  its  truest  honor. 

Yet  he  was  one  of  those  rare  souls  of  whom  not  a 
few  have  illuminated  the  darkness  of  heathenism,  whom 
heart-hunger  leads  to  the  truth.  He  was  a  "devout" 
man.  He  "  feared  "  God.  The  second  word  is  simply 
a  closer  definition  of  his  religious  character.  His  "  fear  " 
was  not  a  superstitious  dread  of  the  wrath  of  God,  but 


PETER'S    VISION.  S4I 

a  brave  man's  dread  of  failing  to  do  the  will  of  God. 
Furthermore,  his  piety  had  power  in  it,  and  this,  mingled 
with  peace,  won  over  to  his  faith  "  all  his  house." 

No  man's  religion  can,  without  great  hurt,  fail  to  set 
forth  the  two  sides  of  the  character  of  his  God.  In  the 
man  who  orders  his  household  in  the  fear  of  God 
"  mercy  and  truth  are  met  together,  righteousness  and 
peace  have  kissed  each  other."  The  home  of  the  truth- 
seeking,  alms-giving,  praying  pagan  captain  shames 
many  a  so-called  Christian  home  circle,  wherein  parental 
authority  is  discounted,  and  lax  control  has  masked  it- 
self under  the  name  of  love. 

Cornelius,  constant  in  alms-giving  and  prayer,  draws 
near  to  the  kingdom  of  God's  Son.  For  him  "  prayers 
ardent  open  heaven."  While  observing  the  Jewish  hour 
of  afternoon  prayer  he  saw  with  his  bodily  eyes,  not  in 
trance,  but  "  evidently,"  an  "  angel  of  God,"  and  heard 
his  name  called.  In  his  very  natural  fear  of  the  heaven- 
ly messenger  he  asks,  "What  is  it.  Lord?"  He  is 
quickly  reassured.  His  faith  and  his  works  have,  in  the 
striking  figure  of  the  angel,  made  a  hand-in-hand  pil- 
grimage to  the  throne,  bearing  between  them  a  "  memo- 
rial." They  had  offered  no  sacrifice.  "  Intrinsic  merit 
or  efficacy  is  no  more  ascribed  in  these  words  to  the 
good  works  of  Cornelius  than  to  the  oblations  from 
which  the  figure  or  comparison  is  taken." — Alexander. 
The  kingdom  is  about  to  be  entered.  The  order  is, 
"  Now  send." 

The  time  had  come.     The  outlying  Gentile  world  had 


SJ^  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

grown  sick  at  heart.  The  "  middle  wall  of  partition  " 
was  falling  to  the  ground.  Cornelius,  for  the  pagan 
world,  was  to  learn  that  the  cross  was  the  center  of  the 
circle,  and  Peter,  for  the  Jewish  world,  that  the  circle 
was  as  big  as  the  globe.  The  divine  direction  is  very- 
exact.  Both  of  the  apostles'  names  are  given.  The 
location  of  the  house,  the  occupation  of  its  owner,  his 
name,  all  fall  into  place  to  show  how  well  God  cares  for 
the  little  things  in  great  crises.  "  Now  send.  I  am  dis- 
charged.    The  man  you  need  is  in  Joppa." 

Whether  Cornelius  knew  it  or  not,  Philip,  a  resident 
of  Cesarea,  might  have  been  called  to  his  side  within  an 
hour.  But  Philip  was  not  the  man  for  the  occasion.  Of 
all  men  Peter  was  best  fitted  to  preach  Jesus  to  Corne- 
lius, of  all  men  the  one  most  needing  the  results  of  his 
preaching. 

"  He  will  tell  thee  what  thou  oughtest  to  do."  These 
words  emphasize  two  important  truths :  (i)  They  point 
to  the  value  of  human  agency  in  the  salvation  of  men. 
Angelic  is  less  than  apostolic  ministry.  "  The  former 
directed  Cornelius  to  an  apostle,  the  latter  directed  him 
to  Christ." — Grotiiis.  Not  even  the  Holy  Spirit  could 
safely  take  the  place  of  a  plain  man  who  had  seen  and 
known  and  loved  the  incarnate  Christ. 

The  value  of  human  testimony  to  a  historic  fact  was 
never  lost  sight  of  in  the  foundation  of  the  Church.  The 
answer  to  Hume  and  Strauss  may  be  found  in  the  meet- 
ing of  these  men.  A  man  not  a  myth  has  entered  our 
world,  and  God  has  committed  to  men  first  of  all,  not 


PETER'S    VISION.  SJ^S 

to  books,  nor  papers,  nor  tracts,  the  publishing  of  the 
Gospel.  The  true  witness  of  true  men  is  the  surest  way 
of  redeeming  China  to  God.  A  ship-load  of  Bibles  sent 
to  Africa  will,  unaided,  amount  to  little.  Ten  holy  men 
turned  loose  will  leaven  it  for  the  twentieth  century. 
The  man  and  the  book  together  are  invincible. 

(2)  They  point  to  Jesus  as  the  consummate  revelation 
of  God.  When  he  can  be  found  all  else  is  insufficient. 
And  it  was  because  he  could  be  found  that  Cornelius 
was  not,  could  not  be,  allowed  to  remain  where  he  was. 
His  devoutness  was  not  enough.  He  had  outstripped 
the  mass  of  his  heathen  fellows,  but  he  needed  the  cross 
to  enter  his  life.  No  one  dare  teach  that  faith  in  spe- 
cific doctrines  of  Christianity  is  superfluous.  The  open- 
ing words  of  Peter's  sermon  cannot  be  bent  to  prove 
that  all  religions  are  of  equal  value  or  that  faith  in  the  Re- 
deemer is  needless.  Cornelius  was  "  acceptable  to  God  " 
— that  is,  he  was  to  be  received  into  Christian  fellowship 
without  being  compelled  to  conform  to  extraneous  le- 
galities— but  he  was  not  "  acceptable  "  outside  of  the 
redemption  of  Jesus  Christ.  (So  Meyer,  Whedon,  and 
Hackett.) 

2.  The  Vision  of  the  Jew  (vers.  9-20).  God's  provi- 
dences make  a  perfect  fit.  Through  a  great  door  "  on 
golden  hinges  turning  "  the  Church  was  about  to  pass 
out  into  all  lands.  The  shining  halves  of  this  hinge  re- 
flect the  wise  care  of  the  Master.  The  messengers 
reached  the  tanner's  door  not  an  hour  too  soon,  not  a 
moment  behind  time.     Was  the  man  on  the  house-top 


SU  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

ready  ?  A  great  thing  was  about  to  happen.  A  huge 
prejudice  had  come  to  its  death. 

Let  us  pause  to  scan  the  past  Hfe  of  the  fisherman. 
He  had  been  in  part  prepared  for  the  nearing  duty.  A 
more  scrupulous  Jew  would  not  have  entered  a  tanner's 
house.  Peter  lodged  there.  He  had  not  been  without 
much  glorious  training.  He  had  been  taught,  tried,  had 
fallen,  had  been  forgiven  and  restored  to  honor.  Yet  he 
was  not  ready  for  a  world-wide  need.  Not  even  three 
years'  closest  contact  with  Christ  will-  give  a  man  all 
wisdom.  The  words  of  Jesus  never  took  the  place  of 
the  educating  activities  of  after  life. 

Peter  had  been  called  to  be  a  "  fisher  of  men  "  (Matt, 
iv,  19).  He  had  heard  the  centurion  commended  (Luke 
vii,  7).  He  had  learned  how  meats  defile,  and  how  they 
do  not  (Mark  vii,  18).  Near  the  tragic  close  of  his 
Lord's  life  he  had  seen  that  certain  Greeks  sought  Him 
(John  xii,  20),  and  that  in  them  the  Gentile  world  was  wel- 
comed. For  it  was  then  He  said  if  men  would  lift  him  up 
he  would  lift  up  the  world.  Then  he  remembered  those 
last  words,  "  Teach  all  men  "  (Matt,  xxviii,  19).  Had  not 
Pentecost  left  its  high-water  mark  in  Jerusalem  ?  (Acts  ii.) 

Yet  he  was  not  ready.  Like  his  fellows,  he  saw  in 
the  direction  of  his  prejudices.  "  It  required  the  surgery 
of  events  to  insert  a  new  truth  into  their  minds."*  Yet 
he  was  God's  best  man  for  this  hour,  for,  as  Bruce  has 
well  said,  "  Every  thing  may  be  hoped  of  men  who 
could  leave  all  for  Christ's  society."  f 

*  Training 0/  the  Twelve,  p.  495.  t  Idem.,  14. 


PETER'S    VISION.  S45 

To  learn  that  spirit  is  more  than  form,  and  that  God 
is  not  partial,  was  a  great  lesson.* 

The  noon  hour  finds  Peter  on  the  flat  roof  of  the  tan- 
ner's house,t  praying  and  very  hungry.  The  "  trance  " 
into  which  he  fell  was  a  "  peculiar  mental  state  in  which 
he  was  enabled  to  discern  objects  beyond  the  appre- 
hension of  man's  natural  powers "  {Hacketf)^  though 
there  was  no  actual  reality  in  the  things  seen. 

Through  the  opening  in  heaven  a  "  great  sheet  "  was 
let  down,  held  "  by  four  rope-ends  "  {Alford),  or  "  attached 
with  four  ends,  namely,  to  the  edges  of  the  opening 
which  had  taken  place  in  heaven  "  {Meyer).  In  it  were 
all  kinds  of  animals  without  exception,  clean  and  un- 
clean. From  these  Peter  was  told  to  choose.  With 
old-time  bluntness  he  refuses.  He  knows  not  who 
speaks,  but  calls  him  "  Lord."  Then,  while  the  vessel 
hung  before  him,  a  second  time  and  a  third  time  the 
voice  repeated  the  order,  and  as  the  vision  left  he  re- 
mained alone  with  the  words  ringing  in  his  ears  that  he 
was  not  to  call  "  common  "  (so  the  verb)  what  God  had 
cleansed. 

What  did  it  mean  ?  Little  wonder  that  he  was  "  per- 
plexed." The  very  most  outward  mark  of  difference  be- 
tween Jew  and  Gentile  had  been  set   at  naught.     He 


*  The  traits  of  the  religion  of  Jesus,  as  admitted  by  the  Tubingen  school,  are 
(i)  universality,  (2)  spirituality.  The  two  elements  in  Peter's  life  to  be  changed 
were  (i)  Jewish  narrowness  and  (2)  ceremonialism. 

+  The  site  of  the  house  now  shown  may  be  the  same.     "  The  house  itself  is  a 
comparatively  modern  building,  with  no  pretentions  to  interest  or  antiquity." — 
St.a.n\ey's  Si'nai  and  Fa/esii'tte,  p.  269. 
15* 


SJt6  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

knew  why  these  regulations  had  existed.  (See  Lev.  xi 
and  Deut.  xvi.)  The  descendants  of  Abraham  were  not 
alone  in  making  distinctions  of  animals.  Yet  none 
others  were  so  thorough  as  those  of  the  Jews.  "  The 
ordinance  of  Moses  was  for  the  whole  nation.  It  was 
not,  like  the  Egyptian  law,  intended  for  priests  alone  ; 
nor  like  the  Hindu  law,  binding  only  on  the  twice-born 
Brahman  ;  nor  like  the  Parsee  law,  to  be  apprehended 
and  obeyed  only  by  those  disciplined  in  spiritual  mat- 
ters. It  was  a  law  for  the  people,  for  every  man,  woman, 
and  child  of  the  race  chosen  to  be  a  *  kingdom  of  priests, 
an  holy  nation  '  (Exod.  xix,  6)."  * 

He  "  thought  "  on.  Was  the  "  hedge"  between  races 
to  be  destroyed  ?  Possibly.  Was  the  vision  meant  for 
his  own  enlargement  of  privilege  ?     Surely  not. 

The  sight,  the  order,  shocked  his  sanitary  creed,  his 
patriotic  sentiment,  his  conscience.  The  lesson  of  devo- 
tion to  "  the  land  "  he  had  well  learned  from  earliest 
years  as  he  grew  skillful  in  making  nets  and  managing 
boats  and  relieved  the  tedium  of  the  fisher's  toil  by  re- 
citing the  words  that  had  a  double  meaning  for  him  : 
"  If  I  forget  thee,  O  Jerusalem,  let  my  right  hand  forget 
her  cunning  "  (Psa.  cxxxvii,  5).  It  was  hard  for  a  Jew 
to  yield  even  to  a  command  from  the  skies. 

His  "thought"  may  have  taken  in  the  city  spread 
below.  He  looked  to  the  west.  There  lay  the  sea.f 
Its  shores  embraced  representatives  of  nearly  all  hea- 

*  speaker'' s  Commentary,  note  on  Lev.  xi. 

t  The  Hebrew  "yam  "  is  the  same  for  "sea"  and  "west." 


PETER'S    VISION.  Sift 

thendom  known  to  the  Jew,  and  far  beyond  the  visible 
horizon  it  widened  out  to  mingle  with  seas  unknown 
that  compassed  the  world.  He  knew  not  the  future. 
His  past  life  had  been  spent  on  a  tiny  lake.  These  two — 
the  lake,  the  sea,  the  sea,  the  lake — pictured  the  struggles 
in  the  mind  of  the  man  whose  training  had  been  provin- 
cial, whose  future — what  ?  Would  Judaism  go  westward 
with  Jesus?  He  strained  his  gaze  westward.  Out  yon- 
der Ephesus,  Athens,  Rome,  were  rocking  in  sin's  tu- 
mult, like  the  crafts  he  had  steered  on  the  stormy  in- 
land sea.  Would  his  Master  say  "  Peace  "  to  the  fury 
of  the  waves  that  were  beating  down  their  hopes  ?  It 
might  be.  He  knew  his  people's  history  and  how  God 
had  mercy  on  Nineveh.  Could  he,  the  Jonah  of  the 
new  times,  repeat  the  prophet's  disobedience  ? 

At  the  bidding  of  the  Spirit  he  turned  to  go  down  to 
see  what  the  men  wanted.  He  was  to  go  with  them, 
"  doubting  nothing."  They  were  sent  of  God.  So  to  the 
idolatrous  capital  he  will  journey  with  the  vision  clearing 
up  each  step  of  the  way.  The  world  for  the  cross,  the 
cross  for  the  world.    Judaism  is  not  big  enough  for  Jesus. 

To  get  to  Gentiles  with  "Jesus  only  "  has  been  and 
remains  the  highest  duty  of  every  true  disciple.  Cost  ? 
None  knew  better  than  Peter.  It  is  not  hard  to  follow 
Livingstone  to  his  burial  in  Westminster  Abbey;  but  to 
go  back  into  Africa,  and  from  the  spot  where  his  heart 
lies  to  describe  a  great  circle  of  hope  for  black  pagans, 
that  is  quite  another,  yet  quite  the  nobler,  thing. 

R.  T.  Stevenson. 


3Ji8  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 


IV. 
PETER  AT  CESAREA. 

Acts  X,  30-48. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— Through    his    name   whosoevep   believeth    in 
him  shall  receive  remission  of  sins.     Acts  x,  43. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  dramatic  chapters  in  the  Bible. 
It  is  the  record  of  a  new  epoch  in  the  development  of 
the  Christian  Church.  Up  to  this  point  the  apostles  had 
preached  only  to  Jews  and  Jewish  proselytes,  and  all  the 
converts  to  the  new  faith  were  Jews,  either  by  descent  or 
adoption.  The  Gospel  here  crosses  the  boundary  of  the 
Hebrew  race  and  is  published  to  the  Gentiles.  Next  after 
the  day  of  Pentecost  and  the  conversion  of  Saul  we  find 
nothing  in  all  the  Book  of  Acts  which  exceeds  in  grand 
historic  interest  this  sermon  of  Peter  to  the  Gentile  world. 

The  previous  lesson  has  made  us  familiar  with  Corne- 
lius. Cesarea,  his  home,  was  the  civil  and  military  capi- 
tal of  Judea,  and  the  "  Italian  band  "  probably  served  as 
the  garrison  of  the  city  and  the  body-guard  of  the 
governor.  He  seems  to  have  been  an  intelligent  and 
conscientious  man  who  had  outgrown  the  superstitions 
of  idolatry  and  polytheism.  Living  among  Jews,  he  saw 
the  superiority  of  their  religion,  and  had  abandoned  his 
old  faith  and  worshiped  the  true  God  without,  however, 
submitting  to  the  ceremonial  law. 


PETER  AT  CESAREA.  3^9 

The  account  of  the  two  visions — that  of  Cornelius,  and 
that  of  Peter — came  more  legitimately  in  the  last  lesson  ; 
though  it  is  remarkable  that  each  is  given  three  times 
over  in  the  Book  of  Acts.  When  Peter  and  his  compan- 
ions arrived  at  Cesarea  Cornelius  "  fell  down  at  his  feet 
and  worshiped  him."  The  word  used  need  not  mean 
religious  homage.  It  often  denotes  civil  reverence. 
Considering  the  character  already  given  to  Cornelius,  it 
is  difficult  to  suppose  that  he  had  any  intention  of  ren- 
dering to  Peter  the  "worship"  due  to  God  only.  It 
was  but  natural  for  him  to  think  that  one  so  pointed  out 
by  an  angel  must  be  deserving  of  the  highest  respect. 
Yet  Peter,  knowing  how  likely  such  honors  were  to  be 
misinterpreted,  said,  "  Stand  up  ;  I  myself  also  am  a  man." 

The  words  of  Cornelius,  "Now  therefore  are  we  all  here 
present  before  God,  to  hear  all  things  that  are  com- 
manded thee  of  God,"  present  to  us  a  picture  of  a  model 
congregation.  Every  word  is  emphatic.  It  is  a  beau- 
tiful expression  of  entire  preparedness  to  receive  the 
expected  divine  teaching.  The  sentence  is  worthy  of 
being  written  over  every  pulpit  in  Christendom. 

Peter  commences  his  discourse  by  saying  that  he  per- 
ceived— what  had  always  been  true,  though  Jewish  prej- 
udice had  never  realized  it  till  now — that  God  was  no 
respecter  of  persons,  but  that  in  every  nation  he  that 
feared  him  and  wrought  righteousness  was  accepted  of 
him.  He  does  not  mean  that  all  religions  are  of  equal 
value,  for  the  conversion  of  Cornelius  and  his  admission 
into  the  Christian  Church  is  the  main  point  of  the  whole 


S50  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

transaction.  He  means,  rather,  that  Jew  and  Gentile  are 
alike  in  the  eyes  of  God,  and  that  one  could  be  saved  as 
easily  as  the  other.  No  man  was  accepted  because  he 
was  a  Jew ;  no  man  excluded  because  he  was  a  Gentile. 

Peter  assumed  that  Cornelius  had  some  knowledge 
of  Christ,  but  proceeded  to  teach  him  the  way  of  the 
Lord  more  perfectly.  He  preached  "  peace  by  Jesus 
Christ,"  the  glorious  sum  of  all  gospel  truth.  He  gave 
an  account  of  some  of  the  leading  events  of  our  Lord's 
life,  declaring  that  he  "went  about  doing  good."  What 
single  sentence  could  better  describe  his  earthly  course  ? 
He  went  about  Judea,  Samaria,  and  Galilee,  not  for  gain 
or  fame  or  pleasure,  but  to  "  do  good."  He  told  of  his 
death  on  the  cross,  his  glorious  resurrection,  and  in  con- 
clusion presented  him  as  the  Judge  and  Saviour  of  all 
men. 

Suddenly  Peter's  words  were  interrupted  by  the  rush- 
ing descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  all  present.  By 
visible  and  audible  manifestation  the  miracle  of  Pente- 
cost was  wrought  afresh  on  these  converts  from  heathen- 
ism. Indeed,  this  has  been  appropriately  called  "  The 
Gentile  Pentecost."  They  "spake  with  tongues" — they 
had  new  thoughts  and  emotions,  and  they  required  a 
new  language.  "  The  old  dialect  will  not  express  the 
new  life."  This  miraculous  outpouring  of  the  Spirit 
certified  at  once  to  the  truth  of  Peter's  words  and  the 
genuineness  of  the  faith  of  these  first  Gentile  converts. 
It  solved  Peter's  remaining  doubts.  No  one  had  hitherto 
been  admitted  into  the  Christian  Church  without  having 


PETER  AT  CESAREA.  351 

first  entered  the  Jewish  communion.  Now  it  is  shown 
that  Gentiles  may  come  direct  to  Christ  without  passing 
through  Judaism  on  the  way.  The  Church  could  not  re- 
fuse to  recognize  those  to  whom  God  had  given  the 
certificate  of  his  Spirit.  Hence  Peter  commanded  them 
to  be  baptized.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  the  delighted 
Gentile  converts  "prayed  him  to  tarry  certain  days" 
with  them  ?  "  Golden  days,"  as  Bengel  suggests.  This 
lesson  is  full  of  most  practical  and  helpful  teachings. 
Among  them  we  may  notice : 

1.  Circumstances  do  not  make  m.en.  There  is  a  great 
deal  of  unexpected  goodness  in  the  world.  Some  of  the 
noblest  characters  have  been  developed  amid  unfavorable 
surroundings,  with  no  godly  example  to  copy,  no  friend 
to  counsel,  no  monitor  to  warn.  Josiah  in  Jerusalem, 
Daniel  in  Babylon,  and  Joseph  in  Egypt  are  examples  of 
exceptionally  good  men  amid  exceptionally  bad  surround- 
ings. So  we  would  hardly  have  looked  for  a  devout  man 
among  the  officers  of  the  Roman  army.  Yet  it  is  worthy 
of  note  that  of  each  of  the  four  centurions  mentioned  in 
the  New  Testament  something  commendable  is  written. 
One  had  built  a  synagogue,  another  testified  to  Christ's 
righteousness  even  at  the  cross,  another  preserved  Paul's 
life  when  he  was  shipwrecked,  and  Cornelius  was,  as  we 
have  seen,  a  devout,  God-fearing  man.  All  this  shows  that 
piety  can  flourish  under  most  unfavorable  circumstances. 

2.  Welcome  new  truth.  The  multitude  of  unsolved 
problems  ought  to  make  men  modest.  But  many  seem 
to  have  made  up  their  minds  on  every  subject,  and  to 


352  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

have  left  no  room  for  appendix  or  supplement.  It  is 
astonishing,  when  Christianity  is  such  a  broad  thing,  on 
what  a  narrow  platform  many  are  contented  to  stand.  It 
required  a  miracle  to  uproot  Peter's  prejudice — to  shake 
off  the  yoke  of  Jewish  exclusiveness,  and  win  him  over  to 
a  world-wide  Christianity.  The  universal  fatherhood  of 
God  and  the  brotherhood  of  man  were  twin  truths, 
neither  of  which  he  was  prepared  to  accept.  Let  us 
allow  old  prejudices  to  die  under  the  light  of  new  truth. 
While  the  Gospel  cannot  be  improved,  men's  understand- 
ing and  interpretation  of  it  may  be  indefinitely  improved. 
Not  all  new  things  are  true,  and  certainly  not  all  true 
things  are  new;  but  mere  antiquity  is  no  evidence  of 
value.  A  thing  may  be  very  old  and  very  worthless. 
Give  a  warm  welcome  to  all  new  light,  and  remember, 
"there  is  no  such  thing  as  a  dangerous  truth."  In  read- 
ing this  chapter  barriers  give  way  and  the  horizon 
widens.  "  One  feels  as  if  sailing  on  a  great  ship,  under  a 
bounding  breeze,  out  of  a  narrow  harbor  into  a  wide  sea; 
every  moment  the  shores  withdraw  and  the  waters 
broaden." 

3.  Providential  preparation  of  hearer  and  preacher. 
There  is  a  beautiful  connection  and  interplay  of  divine 
providence  seen  here.  These  two  visions  were  needed  to 
remove  the  prejudice  of  both  Jew  and  Gentile  ;  that  the 
one  might  teach,  and  the  other  hear.  May  we  not 
believe  that  God  thus  often  makes  ready  both  the  sower 
and  the  soil  ?  That  he  prepares  the  hearts  of  hearers  for 
the  reception  of  the  truth,  making  them  like  moist  and 


PETER  AT  CESAREA.  ■  S53 

mellow  soil ;  and  then  guides  the  steps  and  hands  of  the 
sower  and  directs  each  falling  seed  of  truth  he  scatters? 

4.  God  has  no  favorites.  This  was  not  a  new  truth, 
though  now,  for  the  first  time,  it  dawned  upon  Peter  in 
all  its  fullness.  He  might  have  found  it  in  the  Script- 
ures. (See  Deut.  x,  17;  2  Chron,  xix,  7;  Job  xxxiv, 
19.)  The  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  the 
Gentiles  taught  him  that  Ihey  were,  in  all  that  is  essen- 
tial to  salvation,  on  a  level  with  the  Jews.  God  does 
not  limit  his  favors  to  any  particular  class.  He  made 
special  revelations  to  the  Hebrew  people,  but  he  did  not 
neglect  the  Gentiles. 

"  There's  a  wideness  in  God's  mercy, 
Like  the  wideness  of  the  sea." 

He  hears  the  prayers  of  all  men,  and  grants  them  equal 
access  to  himself  and  to  his  heaven. 

5.  Visions  and  tasks  are  yiever  far  apart.  Special 
divine  manifestations  are  given  to  men  not  for  their  own 
delight  mainly,  but  for  the  good  of  others.  The  value 
of  any  vision  of  glory  lies  in  its  power  to  give  fitness  for 
work  and  endurance.  The  vision  is  but  the  vestibule 
through  which  we  are  to  pass  to  the  greater  glory  of 
sacrifice  and  service.  We  must  make  our  experience 
help  us  in  our  work,  and  be  able  to  say  after  any  rich 
disclosure  of  divine  light  to  our  souls,  "  Whereupon  I 
was  not  disobedient  to  the  heavenly  vision." 

6.  Men,  not  angels,  are  to  preach  the  Gospel.  When, 
after  long  and  earnest  prayer,  the  angel  appeared  to 
Cornelius,  doubtless  he  thought  his  request  for  light  and 


35 Jf  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

instruction  was  to  be  answered  then  and  there.  This  is 
what  lie  has  waited  for,  and  he  listens  to  hear  the  glori- 
ous words  of  life.  But  the  angel  speaks  not  a  word 
about  the  way  of  salvation.  He  teaches  Cornelius  noth- 
ing. He  is  simply  the  celestial  guide  to  a  human 
teacher.  The  angel  bids  him  send  for  Peter,  and  adds, 
"  He  shall  tell  thee  what  thou  oughtest  to  do."  Angels, 
while  they  joyfully  herald  the  advent  of  Christ,  and 
direct  men  to  his  apostles  and  ministers,  have  no  part  in 
the  direct  ministry  of  the  Gospel.  Man  preaches  to  his 
brother  man — the  sinner  saved  to  the  sinner  lost.  No 
doubt  Cornelius  was  directed  to  send  to  Peter  for  Peter's 
good  as  well  as  his  own.  There  is  ever  a  blessed  reflex 
influence  in  the  faithful  preaching  of  the  Word,  but  it  was 
especially  so  in  this  case. 

7.  The  Holy  Spirit  crowns  obedient  labor.  While 
Peter  was  preaching  the  Holy  Spirit  **  fell  on  all  them 
which  heard  the  word."  Power  with  man  is  God's  gift. 
Apart  from  the  help  of  the  Holy  Spirit  the  work  of  the 
Christian  preacher  or  teacher  is  as  much  beyond  him  as 
the  creation  of  a  world.  His  work  is  often  called 
arduous,  but  the  word  is  not  expressive  enough.  We 
have  a  work  to  do  which  is  impossible  to  us  unaided.  It 
is  quite  out  of  the  region  of  human  power.  But  if  in 
answer  to  our  prayer  and  faith  the  Holy  Spirit  falls  on 
teacher  and  class  to-day,  our  poor  powerless  words  will 
thrill  with  a  divine  energy,  and  these  lessons  will  be 
written  on  our  hearts. 

George  W.  Brown. 


THE  GOSPEL  PREACHED  AT  ANTIOCH       S55 


V. 

THE  GOSPEL  PREACHED  AT  ANTIOCH. 

Acts  xi,  19-30. 

GOLDEN    TEXT.— A  great  number  believed,  and  turned  unto 
the  Lord.     Acts  xi,  21. 

How  frequently  the  enemies  of  truth  overreach  them- 
selves !  It  is  inconceivable  that  any  of  their  persecutors, 
who  leveled  their  insane  rage  against  the  followers  of 
Jesus,  expected  by  so  doing  to  advance  the  very  cause 
they  hated. 

Yet  so  it  was.  The  dispersion  was  the  very  best  thing 
that  could  have  happened  to  Christianity  at  this  time. 
God  used  the  fanatical  and  cruel  outburst  for  the  exten- 
sion of  his  kingdom.  As  the  wind  scatters  the  sparks  of 
a  great  conflagration  throughout  the  city,  setting  innu- 
merable fires  in  its  tracks,  so  the  scattering  abroad  of  the 
disciples  at  this  critical  time  was  the  means  of  kindling 
the  fires  of  Pentecost  upon  new  altars.  We  seem  to  see 
in  this  passage  three  pictures  of  the  apostolic  age,  center- 
ing respectively  in  Stephen,  Barnabas,  and  Agabus,  and 
all  of  them  well  worthy  our  careful  study. 

I .    The  first  picture  centers  in  Stephen. 

(i)  Great  in  his  life,  he  was  surpassingly  great  in  his 
death.  The  grim  monster  was  unable  to  check  the  ma- 
jestic stream  of  his  influence.    In  that  hounded,  despised, 


356  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

persecuted  company  who  escaped  from  Jerusalem  with 
their  lives,  "  taking  joyfully  the  spoiling  of  their  goods," 
the  great  protomartyr  lived  again  upon  the  earth. 

(2)  The  fugitives  went  north  into  Phenicia,  a  little 
country  comprising  the  eastern  coast  of  the  Mediterra- 
nean, one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  long  by  about  twelve 
broad,  including  Tyre  and  Sidon,  and  extending  from 
the  inner  Eleutherus  to  a  little  south  of  Carmel ;  and 
to  Cyprus,  an  island  lying  off  the  coast  of  Phenicia,  and 
within  sight  of  it,  which  had  been  early  colonized  by  the 
Phenicians,  and  included  at  this  time  many  Jews  among 
its  inhabitants  ;  and  to  Antioch,  the  capital  of  the  Greek 
kingdom  of  Syria,  situated  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles 
north  of  the  northern  frontier  of  Phenicia,  having  a  pop- 
ulation of  nearly  half  a  million,  and  reckoned  the  third 
city  in  importance  in  the  whole  empire. 

(3)  What  an  opportunity  presented  itself  to  these  per- 
secuted followers  of  the  Nazarene !  And  they  em- 
braced it  to  the  full.  At  first  they  seem  to  have  con- 
fined their  labors  to  the  Jews.  They  were  still  bound 
by  the  shackles  of  the  old  faith,  and  so  to  them  even  the 
glorious  Gospel  must  be  confined  within  proper  limits. 
If  any  man  would  embrace  the  new  truth  he  must  first  go 
through  the  gate  of  Judaism.  But  these  men  in  the 
company  of  dispersed  ones,  "men  of  Cyprus  and  Cy- 
rene,"  having  been  saved  as  Gentiles  at  the  pentecostal 
outpouring  in  Jerusalem,  saw  no  reason  for  withholding 
the  Gospel  from  all  nations.  Accordingly,  when  they 
reached  Antioch  and  found  it  peopled  with  Greeks,  they 


THE  GOSPEL   PREACHED  AT  ANTIOCH.        357 

began  "  preaching  the  Lord  Jesus  "  to  them.  They  be- 
lieved that  the  "  middle  wall  of  partition"  had  been 
thrown  down,  and  henceforth  there  was  to  be  one  fold 
and  one  Shepherd. 

(4)  And  the  result  justified  their  faith.  Great  success 
attended  their  efforts.  "  The  hand  of  the  Lord  was  with 
them  :  and  a  great  number  believed,  and  turned  unto  the 
Lord."  And  soon  it  became  apparent  to  all  hearts  that 
Christianity  is  not  a  "  local  lamp,  but  a  universal  sun," 
which  pours  its  beams  of  light  and  heat  impartially  over 
hill  and  dale,  over  lake  and  forest,  tipping  every  foam- 
crested  wave  of  the  sea  with  fire,  and  tingeing  every 
cloudlet  of  the  summer  sky  with  amber  and  gold.  While 
luxuries  grow  in  a  few  sheltered  spots  of  earth,  neces- 
sities abound  every-where ;  and  because  Christianity  is  a 
necessity,  and  not  a  luxury,  it  is  fitted  to  be  the  universal 
religion. 

2.  And  iiotv  the  second  picture  is  fiashed  upon  us, 
centering  in  Barnabas. 

(i)  Back  over  the  way  the  dispersed  ones  had  come. 
From  Jerusalem  went  the  news  of  their  success  to  the 
Church,  producing  a  startling  effect.  By  reading  be- 
tween the  lines  one  can  observe  the  haste  with  which 
the  leading  members  were  gathered  for  consultation, 
and  the  eagerness  with  which  the  strange  story  was 
rehearsed.  Their  action  in  sending  forth  one  of  their 
number  to  investigate  has  been  variously  interpreted. 
Some  see  in  it  a  meddlesome  bigotry  that  would 
interfere     with    the     glorious    work,     and    forbid    even 


S58  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

the  spread  of  the  Gospel,  except  by  their  sanction. 
Others  declare  that  Peter's  defense  (recorded  in  the 
first  part  of  this  chapter)  had  opened  the  eyes  of  the 
Church  to  the  fact  that  "  God  is  no  respecter  of  per- 
sons," and  their  action  can  only  be  viewed  as  a  kindly 
desire  to  encourage  and  help  forward  the  new  movement. 
Taking  into  account  the  effect  produced  by  Peter's  speech 
(ver.  1 8),  we  are  inclined  to  the  latter  view.  They  really 
rejoiced  that  a  "  short  cut  "  to  the  heart  of  the  Gentile 
world  had  been  found. 

(2)  The  messenger  they  sent  would  indicate  this. 
Barnabas  "  was  a  good  man,  and  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  of  faith."  Such  a  man  would  be  in  sympathy  with 
the  work,  and  so  we  think  the  temper  of  the  Church  in 
Jerusalem  is  reflected  in  the  character  of  the  man  they 
sent  to  represent  them.  It  must  not,  however,  be  in- 
ferred that  Barnabas  was  a  fanatical,  rattle-brained  enthu- 
siast. He  shows  himself  a  cool,  level-headed  man  of 
affairs  in  this  crisis,  and  only  after  he  had  thoroughly 
examined  the  movement  did  he  give  it  his  sanction  and 
lend  himself  to  its  continuance.  "  He  saw  the  grace  of 
God."  That  settled  it  with  Barnabas.  No  doubt  he 
saw  many  other  things  inseparable  from  such  a  work 
that  he  could  not  commend.  But  this  one  thing,  the 
manifest  presence  of  God,  rising  like  the  white  lily  above 
a  stagnant  pool,  was  enough  for  him.  There  is  no  mis- 
taking the  real  flavor  of  a  genuine  revival  of  religion. 
Nothing  is  like  it  in  the  heavens  above  or  in  the  earth 
beneath.     And  when  the  true  child  of   God  sees  it  he 


THE   GOSPEL   PREACHED  AT  ANTIOCH.        359 

recognizes  it  instantly  and  glorifies  God.  So  Barnabas 
was  glad.  Nor  did  he  spend  his  gladness  in  an  ebulli- 
tion of  emotion.  He  went  right  to  work,  exhorting 
them  all  that  "  with  purpose  of  heart  they  would  cleave 
unto  the  Lord."  Is  it  strange  that  a  great  impetus  was 
given  to  the  work?  Would  we  not  naturally  expect  as 
a  result  that  "  much  people  was  added  unto  the  Lord?" 

(3)  And  now  the  revival  began  to  assume  such  propor- 
tions that  assistance  was  required ;  and  Barnabas  be- 
thought himself  of  that  little,  but  mighty,  man  who  had 
been  driven  by  persecution  from  Jerusalem  to  his  native 
city  of  Tarsus — Paul,  who  was  yet  to  be  named  the  apos- 
tle to  the  Gentiles. 

Hastening  thither,  the  overburdened  servant  of  God 
succeeds  in  enlisting  the  sympathy  and  co-operation  of 
Paul,  who  accompanies  him  back  to  the  scene  of  action. 
Can  it  be  that  there  was  given  to  Barnabas  at  this  time 
some  conception  of  what  it  meant  to  open  the  door  of 
opportunity  for  such  a  man  ?  Probably  not ;  but  now 
that  the  "  great  apostle's  "  course  is  run,  and  the  two 
friends  have  met  in  heaven,  it  must  be  a  continuous 
sourceof  hallowed  joy  to  the  "Son  of  Consolation"  that  he 
was  God's  agent  in  lifting  the  veil  of  obscurity  from  such 
a  man,  and  setting  him  in  the  front  rank  of  the  world's 
greatest.  For  a  whole  year  the  two  apostles  carry  on 
the  work  at  Antioch  with  signal  success.  This  was  the 
teaching  time.  The  fruits  of  the  great  revival  were  be- 
ing conserved — the  converts  confirmed  in  the  faith  and 
plans  laid  for  their  further  discipline  and  development. 


S60  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

(4)  And  here  the  disciples  were  hfted  to  the  dignity  of 
a  name.  Hitherto  enemies  had  called  them  "  Gali- 
leans," or  "  Nazarenes."  They  spoke  of  their  own  teach- 
ing as  "the  way,"  and  themselves  as  "  disciples."  No 
one  knows  how  the  new  name,  "  Christians,"  came  to  be 
used.  Perhaps  it  was  given  in  derision,  as  "  Methodist  " 
and  "  Puritan."  But  no  one  can  doubt  its  appropriate- 
ness. "  Christ-ones "  puts  the  great  Saviour  above 
every  other  consideration — a  personal  pre-eminence  en- 
tirely fitting. 

3.  And  now  the  third  picture  rises  before  us,  centering 
in  Agabus. 

(i)  As  to  the  prophet  himself  we  know  very  little.  He 
is  mentioned  again  in  Acts  xxi,  10,  where  he  predicts  the 
arrest  and  imprisonment  of  Paul,  dramatically  symboliz- 
ing the  act  by  binding  himself  with  the  apostle's  girdle. 
But  the  order  of  prophets  was,  we  know,  already  recog- 
nized in  the  Church.  Whether  he  was  sent  by  the  Church 
in  Jerusalem,  as  Barnabas  was,  or  whether  he  came  of 
his  own  accord,  we  can  only  conjecture.  At  any  rate, 
his  mission  was  of  great  importance. 

(2)  His  prophecy  was  very  specific.  Unhke  the  oracles 
of  mythology,  there  was  no  ambiguity  in  the  prediction, 
a  "dearth"  (or  "famine;"  see  Revised  Version).  The 
expression  "  throughout  all  the  world  "  was  the  common 
term  for  the  Roman  Empire ;  and  it  may  be  that  this 
must  be  interpreted  as  hyperbolical,  inasmuch  as  Jose- 
phus  declares  that  this  famine  was  confined  exclusively 
to  Judea.     And  yet  Eusebius,  in   his  ecclesiastical  his- 


THE  GOSPEL   PREACHED  AT  ANTIOCH.        361 

tory,  speaks  of  it  as  having  prevailed  "  over  the  world." 
But  the  point  is  not  important.  It  is  only  essential  to 
observe  the  wonderful  precision  of  the  prophecy,  and 
the  accuracy  of  the  statement — "  which  came  to  pass  in 
the  days  of  Claudius  Caesar."  Their  points  are  abun- 
dantly corroborated  by  history,  some  of  which  was  writ- 
ten by  those  hostile  to  Christianity. 

(3)  But  the  practical  effect  of  the  prophecy  is  the  main 
fact  to  be  emphasized.  No  sooner  did  it  fall  from  the 
lips  of  Agabus  than  the  new  disciples  resolved  to  aid 
the  church  in  Jerusalem.  They  saw  the  great  need  in- 
stantly. Judea  was  poor,  Antioch  rich.  The  wealth  of 
the  one  should  be  made  to  serve  the  poverty  of  the 
other.  Thus  they  reasoned.  Could  better  evidence  of 
the  genuineness  of  the  work  of  Antioch  be  asked  for 
than  this  practical  benevolence  ?  And  what  an  exempli- 
fication of  real  church  unity  is  here  !  The  need  of  Jeru- 
salem, the  response  of  Antioch,  drew  the  one  Church  of 
Jesus  into  a  beautiful  and  loving  fellowship,  "  Every 
man  according  to  his  ability."  That  is  absolutely  ideal ! 
All  giving  something.  All  giving  as  much  as  they  could. 
The  contributions  went  to  the  elders  by  the  hands  of 
Barnabas  and  Paul.  That  shows  that  this  company  of 
Antiochene  Christians  was  not  a  lawless  mob,  but  men 
who  had  respect  for  authorized  methods,  and  recognized 
regular  church  officers.  "  Let  all  things  be  done  de- 
cently and  in  order." 

4.  Wc  have  time  only  for  a  feiu  practical  lessons. 

(i)  Christianity  is  never  content  to  remain  at  home. 
16 


S62  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

It  migrates  and  emigrates.  Indeed,  it  may  be  questioned 
if  it  has  a  home — whether  there  is  any  country  on  the 
globe  that  can  claim  it  as  its  own. 

Its  spirit  is  to  compass  all  lands  in  its  efforts  to  reach 
the  race.  Nor  does  it  ever  wait  until  all  are  saved  in  a 
given  place  before  moving  on.  It  sounds  the  trumpet, 
offers  the  blessings,  and  then  goes  to  other  lands.  One 
says:  "In  proportion  as  we  sit  at  home  we  disown 
Christianity."  We  are  needed  in  the  regions  beyond, 
and  until  the  last  believer  is  gathered,  and  every  pilgrim 
safe  in  heaven,  the  Gospel  must  go. 

(2)  Let  us  learn  to  strike  for  the  centers  of  population. 
According  to  the  teachers  of  social  science  the  cities  are 
the  "storm  centers,"  especially  in  our  republic.  Here  the 
multitudes  gather,  here  vice  flaunts  itself  on  every  street 
corner,  here  the  great  social  upheavals  occur,  and  here 
wealth  is  accumulated.  Obviously,  to  capture  these 
centers  is  to  conquer  the  strategic  points  of  the  country 
for  Christ.     "  From  Jerusalem  to  Antioch." 

(3)  Notice,  too,  that  this  was  a  ministry  of  the  laity. 
At  first  neither  Paul  nor  Barnabas  were  present.  The 
work  was  carried  on  by  those  who  had  been  prepared  for 
their  calling,  not  by  the  laying  on  of  authoritative  hands, 
but  by  the  pentecostal  baptism.  Such  a  ministry  is  ab- 
solutely disinterested,  and  in  all  ages  has  been  success- 
ful. One  great  need  of  the  Church  to-day  is  not  more 
professional  workers,  but  more  men  and  women  aflame 
with  love  for  souls  to  enter  into  personal  missionary 
labors.     The  world  never  can  be  evangelized  by  a  few 


THE  GOSPEL   PREACHED  AT  ANTIOCH.        S6S 

ordained  preachers.  The  mass  of  beh'evers  need  to 
enter  personally,  and  not  by  proxy,  into  the  toil  of  the 
great  harvest  field. 

(4)  How  simple  was  this  ministry.  They  preached  the 
Lord  Jesus.  Not  speculations,  not  theories,  not  philos- 
ophy, but  facts  concerning  a  real  person,  were  relied 
upon.  It  ought  to  teach  us  that  colossal  church  build- 
ings and  elaborate  music  and  high-sounding  ritual  and 
learned  and  elegant  discourses  are  not  the  essentials  of 
Christianity.  These  are  but  the  fringe  at  best,  and  often 
are  so  many  barriers  between  the  soul  and  God.  While 
we  despise  no  instruments  nor  organizations  nor  acces- 
sories of  worship,  let  us  not  forget  "the  simplicity  that  is 
in  Christ." 

(5)  Last  of  all,  see  the  Christian  comradeship  of  these 
two  men.  Barnabas,  without  a  shade  of  envy  seeks  out 
Paul,  and  cheerfully  resigns  first  place  to  him.  And 
Paul  modestly  remains  in  Tarsus  until  called  for,  that  he 
may  not  interfere  with  the  work  of  his  brother.  A  beau- 
tiful spirit  is  here  exhibited,  and  both  earn  thereby  the 
title  of  great  men.  In  honor  they  prefer  one  another. 
Let  us  learn  to  co-operate  not  with  God  only,  but  with 
our  brothers  also,  sinking  all  personal  feelings  and  ambi- 
tions in  the  greatness  of  the  work. 

H.  H.  French. 


364  BOSTON  HOMIUES. 


VI. 
PETER  DELIVERED  FROM  PRISON. 

Acts  xii,  1-17. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— The  angel  of  the  Lord  eneampeth  round  about 
them  that  fear  him,  and  dehvereth  them.     Psa.  xxxiv,  7. 

We  come  to-day  to  one  of  the  most  interesting  events 
in  the  history  of  early  Christianity,  a  story  which  illus- 
trates the  power  of  prayer,  the  protective  providence  of 
God,  and  the  rapid  extension  of  the  Gospel. 

The  honor  of  first  martyr  of  the  Christian  faith  belongs 
to  Stephen.  The  honor  of  first  martyr  of  the  apostolic 
college  belongs  to  the  apostle  James.  The  story  of 
Stephen  we  remember.  He  was  condemned  by  the 
Sanhedrin  in  Jerusalem  to  be  put  to  death  by  stoning, 
was  dragged  outside  the  city  walls,  and  the  executioners 
who  had  the  matter  in  charge  did  their  work  well.  We 
are  told  that  they  "  laid  their  garments  at  the  feet  of  a 
young  man  named  Saul."  It  was  a  novel  and  strange 
experience  that  was  beheld  that  day — a  man  under  a 
shower  of  stones  pleading  for  the  cruel  men  who  smote 
him:  "Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge."  Saul 
looked  on  and  had  his  own  thoughts.  He  saw  and  heard 
too  much  that  day  for  a  Pharisee.  A  mysterious  con- 
viction seized  him  which  became  a  fire  in  his  bones  and 
which  burst  into  a  flame  "on  the  way  to  Damascus." 


PETER  DELIVERED  FROM  PRISON.  365 

"The  Church,"  says  St.  Augustine,  "owes  the  apostle 
Paul  to  the  prayer  of  Stephen." 

There  is  good  reason  to  believe  that  the  young  perse- 
cutor who  put  Stephen  to  death  was  in  Jerusalem  at  the 
time  of  the  death  of  James,  and  that  he  stood  by  and 
saw  the  head  of  the  great  apostle  stricken  off  by  a  Ro- 
man sword.  In  the  narrative  of  St.  Luke  immediately 
preceding  our  lesson  (xi,  27-30)  we  are  informed  that 
there  was  "  a  great  famine  over  all  the  world  in  the 
days  of  Claudius,"  and  that  the  wealthy  church  in  An- 
tioch,  the  capital  of  Syria,  sent  "  relief  unto  the  brethren 
that  dwelt  in  Judea."  These  alms  were  conveyed  to 
Jerusalem  by  Barnabas  and  Paul.  The  date  of  this 
event  is  well  ascertained  to  be  the  spring  of  the  year  44 
A.  D. 

"  Now  about  that  time  Herod  the  king  put  forth  his 
hands  to  afflict  certain  of  the  church."  The  first  four 
words  of  this  passage  are  rendered  by  Meyer  in  his  com- 
mentary, "But  at  that  juncture;"  and  these  words  he 
tells  us  fix  the  story  of  our  lesson  as  contemporaneous 
with  the  visit  of  the  two  apostles  to  Jerusalem.  Arch- 
deacon Farrar  holds  the  same  opinion,  and  writes:  "  It 
is  clear  that  they  arrived  shortly  before  the  passover,  or 
toward  the  end  of  March,  44  A.  D." 

The  great  apostle  never  forgave  himself  for  the  part  he 
took  in  the  death  of  Stephen.  Again  and  again,  with 
ever  fresh  repentance,  he  recurs  to  it  in  his  letters  and 
writes  himself  down  as  "  the  least  of  the  apostles,  not 
meet  to  be  called  an  apostle,"  because  he  persecuted  the 


S66  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

Church  of  God.  We  can  imagine  the  intense  emotion 
with  which  he  would  behold  this  fresh  outburst  of  per- 
secution. 

Let  us  dwell  for  a  moment  on  the  first  martyred  apos- 
tle. James  was  brother  of  John,  author  of  the  fourth 
gospel.  He  belonged  to  the  honored  trio,  Peter,  James, 
and  John,  the  three  permitted  to  enter  with  their  Master 
the  sacred  chamber  where  the  daughter  of  Jairus  was 
raised  from  the  dead,  who  beheld  the  glory  of  the  trans- 
figuration, and  were  present  at  the  tragedy  of  Geth- 
semane.  It  was  the  mother  of  James  who  requested  for 
her  sons  that  they  might  sit  on  his  right  and  left  hand 
in  his  kingdom,  and  we  can  understand  how  on  this  fatal 
day  in  the  year  44  that  mother  would  recall,  were  she 
then  alive,  her  foolish  request  and  the  Lord's  reply  : 
"  Ye  know  not  what  ye  ask.  Are  ye  able  to  drink  the 
cup  that  I  am  about  to  drink  ?  They  say  unto  him,  We 
are  able.  He  saith  unto  them,  My  cup  indeed  ye  shall 
drink"  (Matt,  xx,  22,  23).  And  they  drank  it,  loyal, 
heroic,  loving  disciples  of  their  Lord — James  by  the 
martyr's  death,  and  John,  the  greater  sufferer,  by  the 
martyr's  life  of  a  hundred  years. 

This  tyrant  king  who  slays  God's  prophets  to  make  a 
Jewish  holiday,  who  was  he?  There  are  four  Herods 
conspicuous  in  New  Testament  history :  Herod  the 
Great  (Matt,  ii,  i) ;  Herod  Antipas,  son  of  Herod  the 
Great,  who  beheaded  John  the  Baptist,  and  was  ruler  at 
the  time  of  the  crucifixion ;  Herod  Agrippa,  grandson 
of  Herod  the  Great  and  Mariamne  (of  the  family  of  the 


PETER  DELIVERED  FROM  PRISON.  367 

Maccabees),  son  of  Aristobulus  aud  Berenice,  born  1 1 
B.  C.  and  deceased  44  A.  D.  ;  and  another,  a  son  of  Herod 
Agrippa,  called  by  St.  Paul  "King  Agrippa"  in  Acts 
xxvi,  2.  These  princes  were  all  petty  despots,  frivolous, 
treacherous,  and  cruel,  but  were  not  wanting  in  a  certain 
brilliancy  and  personal  beauty  which  were  marked  feat- 
ures of  the  founder  of  their  dynasty.  The  Herod  of 
our  lesson,  known  as  Herod  Agrippa,  spent  his  youth  in 
Rome,  where  by  lavish  expenditure  and  excesses  he  won 
the  favor  of  the  royal  princes.  In  37  A.  D.,  at  the  death 
of  the  Emperor  Tiberius,  we  find  him  in  a  Roman  dun- 
geon for  treason,  but  the  new  Emperor  Caligula  gave  him 
a  chain  of  gold  for  his  iron  fetters,  put  a  crown  on  his 
head,  and  sent  him  to  rule  in  his  native  country.  In  41 
Caligula  was  murdered  and  another  favorite  of  the  wily 
Agrippa  succeeded  to  the  empire.  Claudius  extended 
the  dominions  of  Agrippa,  so  that  at  the  time  of  our 
lesson  he  was  one  of  the  great  sovereigns  of  western 
Asia  and  governed  a  territory  equal  to  that  of  Herod  the 
Great. 

This  Agrippa  was  a  singular  mixture  of  the  profligate 
and  the  devoted  In  Jerusalem  he  affected  the  religion 
of  Moses;  in  Rome  he  was  a  pagan.  Josephus  relates 
that  he  was  found  weeping  in  the  Temple  because  he  was 
only  half  a  Jew  (his  grandmother  was  a  Jewess),  while  at 
Cesarea  he  was  the  patron  of  the  theater  and  the  pagan 
games,  and  in  Italy  he  was  the  boon  companion  of  the 
unspeakable  princes  of  the  house  of  the  Caesars.  We 
can  readily  understand,  therefore,  the  words  of  the  author 


368  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

of  the  Acts:  "Because  he  saw  it  pleased  the  Jews  he 
proceeded  further  to  take  Peter  also." 

Man  proposes,  God  disposes.  The  sacredness  of  the 
passover  saved  the  life  of  Peter.  What  a  mixture  of 
superstition,  conscientiousness,  and  depravity  is  human 
nature!  The  young  man  who  put  Stephen  to  death 
"  verily  thought  he  ought  to  do  many  things  contrary  to 
the  name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth."  The  priests  who  be- 
fore Pilate's  hall  of  judgment  uttered  the  historic  cry, 
"  Crucify  him  !  "  refused  to  cross  the  unholy  threshold 
of  the  pagan  ruler.  And  now,  since  there  is  not  time  for 
the  trial  and  execution  of  the  apostle  before  the  pass- 
over,  he  must  be  kept  in  prison  till  after  the  feast.  Peter 
is  therefore  committed  to  four  "  quartettes  "  of  soldiers, 
that  there  may  be  a  quartette  for  each  of  the  four  watches 
of  the  night.  This  ringleader  of  the  pestiferous  sect 
must  not  be  suffered  to  escape.  The  order  is  given  : 
"  Guard  the  prison  well ;  let  him  be  chained ;  keep  a 
patrol ;  look  to  the  gates."  The  seven  days  of  the  feast 
move  slowly  by.  The  last  night  has  come.  On  the 
morrow  this  successor  of  Pontius  Pilate,  "willing  to 
content  the  people,"  will  take  Peter  from  the  dungeon, 
exhibit  him  before  them,  and  publicly  put  him  to 
death. 

Two  scenes  attract  us  on  this  last  night.  Look  in  first 
at  the  house  of  Mary,  the  mother  of  Mark.  It  is  a  gath- 
ering of  the  Christians  for  prayer.  Peter  must  not  die. 
He  is  their  leader  by  appointment  of  the  Master,  the 
bravest  of  the  brave  and  tenderly  beloved  by  all.     They 


PETER  DELIVERED  FROM  PRISON.  369 

have  met  daily  behind  bolted  doors  through  the  fearful 
days  of  the  feast.  And  if  Paul  and  Barnabas  were  in  the 
city  we  must  believe  that  they,  too,  were  at  that  meeting 
on  that  fateful  night.  "  But  prayer  was  made  without 
ceasing  of  the  church  unto  God  for  him."  O,  the  power 
of  faithful  prayer ! 

The  rulers  cared  little  about  the  prayer-meeting ;  if 
they  knew  of  it  they  would  have  despised  it,  just  as  the 
Sanhedrin  in  Jerusalem  and  the  Senate  in  Rome  would 
have  despised  the  assembly  of  the  followers  of  the  Cruci- 
fied in  the  upper  room.  But  history  has  ways  of  its  own. 
The  might  of  final  conquest  is  in  the  realm  of  the  spirit- 
ual.    Behind  all  things  is  God. 

"  O  where  are  kings  and  empires  now, 

Of  old  that  went  and  came ! 
But,  Lord,  thy  Church  is  praying  yet, 

A  thousand  years  the  same  !  " 

Look  now  into  the  prison.  It  is  past  the  middle 
hour  of  the  night.  Peter  sleeps  on  his  bed  of  straw. 
The  two  soldiers,  chained  to  his  wrists  on  either  side, 
sleep  also ;  the  monotonous  foot-falls  of  the  guards  in 
the  prison  courts  have  lulled  them  to  slumber.  The 
huge  "  iron  gate  "  is  bolted  and  barred.  The  dungeon 
is  dark  and  silent,  and  without,  under  the  starry  sky,  the 
great  city  also  sleeps. 

Peter  has  been  called  "  the  apostle  of  hope."     Did  he 

fall  asleep  hoping   for  deliverance,  or  did  he  fancy  that 

the  end  had  come,  as  he  recalled  the  words  spoken  by 
16* 


370  BOSTON   HOMILIES. 

Galilee,  "  When  thou  shalt  be  old  another  shall  gird 
thee  and  carry  thee  wither  thou  wilt  not  ?  " 

And  now  a  marvel  takes  place,  "  Behold,  the  angel  of 
the  Lord  came  upon  him,  and  a  light  shined  in  the  prison : 
and  he  smote  Peter  on  the  side,  and  raised  him  up,  say- 
ing, Arise  up  quickly  ! "  Let  us  note  that  God  only  did 
for  Peter  what  he  could  not  do  for  himself.  The  angel 
roused  him.  The  mystic  light  revealed  to  him  his  sit- 
uation and  the  sleeping  guards,  and  perhaps  recalled  a 
similar  glory  once  witnessed  by  him  on  the  mount  of 
transfiguration.  Tenderly  the  angel  raised  him  up,  bend- 
ing and  helping  the  dazed  apostle  to  his  feet.  We  notice 
the  same  word  is  used  here  which  tells  us  how  Jesus 
"  raised  up  "  the  demented  boy  whom  he  healed  after 
the  transfiguration. 

Peter  co-operates  with  the  angel,  and  as  he  struggles 
to  his  feet  "  his  chains  fall  off  from  his  hands."  Now  in 
quick  succession  the  angel  gives  his  brief  commands. 
"  Gird  thyself,  bind  on  thy  sandals.  .  .  .  Cast  thy  garment 
about  thee,  and  follow  me."  The  apostle  obeys.  Out 
through  the  prison  courts  they  pass  in  single  file.  Some 
spell  is  on  the  Roman  guards,  called  in  our  text  "  the 
first  and  second  wards  ;  "  they  reach  the  "  iron  gate," 
which  opens  "of  its  own  accord."  They  pass  out  and 
are  under  the  stars.  That  the  angel  led  the  course 
toward  the  prayer-meeting  we  may  be  sure ;  and  then 
with  an  intimation  that  yonder  his  friends  were  praying 
for  him,  God's  messenger  is  gone. 

We  are   dealing  with  history,  but   is  this   not   also  a 


PETER  DELIVERED  FROM  PRISON.  Sll 

parable  ?  Have  we  not  here  the  process  of  the  escape 
of  a  sinner  from  the  prison-house  of  sin  ?  Most  men 
have  been  in  Peter's  dungeon,  and  sin's  chains  have  been 
upon  their  limbs.  To  break  the  chains,  to  rise  up,  to 
escape,  is  impossible  in  their  own  strength.  They  find 
a  law  that  "  when  they  would  do  good,  evil  is  present  with 
them,"  and  they  are  "in  captivity  to  the  law"  of  sin 
and  death  (Rom.  vii,  23).  This  is  readily  recognized 
as  to  the  drunkard,  but  it  is  equally  true,  and  perhaps 
more  dangerously  true,  concerning  respectable  (?)  sins, 
such  as  selfishness,  dishonesty,  worldliness,  pride,  un- 
belief. It  is  true  concerning  the  liar,  the  profane  man, 
the  libertine.  "  His  own  iniquities  shall  take  the  wicked 
himself,  and  he  shall  be  holden  with  the  cords  of  his 
sins  "  (Prov.  v,  22). 

But  God  seeks  his  lost  ones.  There  comes  a  moment 
when  an  angel  smites  the  prisoner  on  the  side  and  cries, 
"Arise  up  quickly!"  And  as  Peter  found  gracious 
arms  about  him,  so  the  sinner  finds  a  power  within  him 
that  helps  him  to  his  feet.  So  John  Newton  was  lifted 
up  on  the  deck  of  the  slave-ship.  So  the  young  mid- 
shipman, afterward  Admiral  Foote,  when  on  board  a 
United  States  war-ship.  The  duty  of  such  a  moment  is 
obedience.  Peter  did  not  parley  or  apologize.  A  reso- 
lution to  be  good  does  not  make  us  good.  The  renewed 
nature  is  God's  work,  and  it  is  granted  while  we  are 
obeying. 

And  the  frequent  half-conversions  of  our  churches,  the 
Ephraims  who  are  "  cakes  not  turned,"  are  they  not  like 


S72  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

Peter  when  he  was  standing  upright,  with  his  chains  off, 
but  in  the  prison  still  ? 

"  Cast  thy    garment  about  thee ;    follow  me."     The 
angel  led  him  to  perfect  liberty. 

"  Long  my  imprisoned  spirit  lay, 

Fast  bound  in  chains  and  nature's  night ; 

Thine  eye  diffused  a  quickening  ray, 
I  woke  ;  the  dungeon  flamed  with  light ; 

My  chains  fell  off,  my  heart  was  free, 

I  rose,  went  forth,  and  followed  thee." 

Joseph  Pullman. 


THE  FIRST  CHRISTIAN  MISSIONARIES. 


VII. 

THE  FIRST  CHRISTIAN  MISSIONARIES. 

Acts  xiii,  1-13. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— That  i'epentance  and  remission  of  sins  should 
be  preached  in  his  name  among  all  nations.     Luke  xxiv,  47. 

In  the  past  few  years  we  have  often  been  invited  to 
read  new  books  of  history  with  very  suggestive  titles, 
such  as  The  Making  of  England,  The  Building  of  a  Com- 
momvealth,  etc. 

We  have  been  glad  of  these  departures  from  older 
forms,  for  they  indicate  to  us  an  effort  on  the  part  of  the 
writers  to  trace  out  certain  great  laws  or  influences  under 
which  and  through  which  the  succession  of  events  took 
form.  The  result  has  been  to  give  us  a  clearer  under- 
standing of  history,  and  many  excellent  lessons  for  our 
own  onward  course  as  a  people. 

Although  a  new  departure  in  modern  book-writing  the 
method  itself  is  as  old  as  the  Bible.  God,  whenever 
great  movements  were  to  be  inaugurated,  and  great  ad- 
vances to  be  made  along  the  line  of  his  kingdom,  has 
always  laid  bare  the  powers  behind  such  movements, 
and  made  clear  the  factors  that  have  led  to  success. 

The  present  lesson  is  not  an  exception.  In  it  are  re- 
vealed the  elements  that  gave  Barnabas  and  Saul  their 
success  as  the  first  Christian  missionaries,  and  the  power 


S74  BOS  TO  A'  HOMILIES. 

that  sent  them  forth.     The  order  of  thought  before  us 
will  be  as  follows  : 

TJie  TJircc  Elements  of  Success  in  tJie  First  Christian 
Missionaries  : 

1.  Earnestness. 

2.  A  Holy  Ghost  Commission. 

3.  Obedience. 

I.  These  Men  were  in  Earnest.  It  is  no  dead  Church 
on  which  we  are  permitted  to  look  as  the  chapter  opens 
before  us. 

In  the  persecution  that  arose  from  the  death  of  Stephen 
the  followers  of  Jesus  were  scattered  abroad  and  journeyed 
as  far  as  Phenice,  Cyprus,  and  Antioch,  preaching  the 
Gospel  of  Christ  with  such  power  and  fervor  that  at  Anti- 
och a  great  number  believed  and  turned  unto  the  Lord. 

Hearing  of  this  success  of  the  Gospel,  the  Church  at 
Jerusalem  sent  them,  as  their  preacher,  Barnabas,  a  "  good 
man,"  "full  of  faith  "  "and  the  Holy  Ghost."  His  min- 
istry was  crowned  with  marked  results  in  gathering  con- 
verts ;  and,  wishing  for  help,  he  sought  out  Saul  and 
brought  him  to  Antioch. 

As  the  lesson  opens  we  are  introduced  in  this  earnest 
church  to  an  earnest  company.  Day  after  day  these 
men  "  ministered  "  at  the  altars  of  God,  leading  the 
people  toward  a  better  life,  preaching  Christ  to  them  as 
the  hope  of  the  resurrection  and  eternal  joy,  "  fasting" 
as  a  means  of  bringing  themselves  into  closer  communion 
with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  doubtless /raj^z«!^  for  direction 
in  the  work  that  was  opening  before  them. 


THE  FIRST  CHRISTIAN  MISSIONARIES.        375 

This  picture  given  us  by  the  Scripture  is  in  itself  a 
prophecy  of  greater  things. 

Out  of  such  times  and  such  gatherings  the  great  forward 
movements  of  the  Christian  world  have  come. 

Luther  read  his  chained  Bible,  fasted,  prayed,  and 
ministered  as  best  he  knew  until  his  soul's  vision  grew 
clear,  the  old  restrictions  of  his  life  fell  away,  and  the 
great  and  effectual  door  of  the  Reformation  swung  open. 
Wesley,  in  the  midst  of  ''ministry,"  "fasting,"  and 
"  prayer,"  felt  the  warming  touch  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
transformed  the  religious  thought  and  practice  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  A  poor  shoe-maker,  busy  with  lap- 
stone  and  leather,  finds  time  to  inquire  of  God,  and 
through  William  Carey  the  modern  missionary  move- 
ment is  born. 

God  has  not  changed  in  our  century,  and  when  Booth, 
amid  the  slums  of  London,  repeated  the  history  of  An- 
tioch,  there  came  to  him  the  message  of  "  Darkest  En- 
gland," the  key-note  of  a  movement  that  will  mile-stone 
the  line  of  Christian  progress  as  did  Methodism  and  the 
Reformation. 

God  gives  no  message  to  the  lazy.  Samuel  was  azvake 
when  God  called  him  ;  Pentecost  was  a  time  of  work  and 
prayer  before  the  coming  of  cloven  tongues  of  flame  ;  and 
when  we  look  upon  this  busy  hive  of  work  and  worship 
we  are  like  men  who  stand  amid  the  shadows  of  an  April 
night  and  hear  the  crash  of  ice  in  the  river,  the  sighing  of 
the  wind,  and  the  steady  drip  of  rain.  They  know  there  are 
answering  forces  in  the  earth  that  will  lift  the  summer 


S76  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

banners  of  the  grass  and  weight  the  autumn  with  abun- 
dant harvest.  We  know  that  God  has  answering  pow- 
ers for  earnest  souls,  and  look  for  that  which  came  as 
the  second  factor  of  success,  the  message  of  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

2.  These  Men  were  Spirit-commissioned.  "  The  Holy 
Ghost  said,"  etc. 

Sometimes  in  our  Western  mountains  the  traveler  dis- 
covers a  stream  of  sparkling  water  leaping  from  the 
bosom  of  the  cliffs  and  making  its  way  toward  the  plain 
below.  As  he  follows  its  course  it  suddenly  disappears 
beneath  the  surface,  indicating  its  channel,  if  at  all,  by 
here  and  there  a  tree  growing  among  the  heaped-up 
bowlders  ;  miles  below  he  finds  a  quiet  pool  edged  with 
rushes  and  starred  with  lilies,  and  from  its  lower  rim  a 
river  flowing  to  the  sea,  and  the  traveler  comes  to  un- 
derstand that  the  spring  in  the  mountain,  the  clear  lake 
in  the  dusty  plain,  and  the  river  with  its  ceaseless  cur- 
rent moving  oceanward  are  all  parts  of  one  great  nature- 
plan  of  God. 

So  in  the  lesson  before  us,  when  the  Holy  Ghost  said, 
"Separate  me  Barnabas  and  Saul,"  //  was  a  step  in  the 
fulfillment  of  a  divine  purpose  toward  which  the  Spirit 
had  been  moving  for  years  with  untiring  power. 

Fifteen  years  before  this  gathering  at  Antioch  Jesus 
Christ  appeared  in  Palestine,  made  plain  the  essential  re- 
lations of  God  to  men,  unfolded  the  course  of  the  coming 
kingdom,  submitted  himself  to  the  death  of  the  cross, 
arose  from  the  dead,  and  ascended  into  heaven,  leaving 


THE  FIRST  CHRISTIAN  MISSIONARIES.        377 

as  his  farewell  message  the  missionary  commission  for  the 
conquest  of  the  world. 

The  evangelists  give  the  message  in  varying  language. 
"  Go,  teach  all  nations,"  says  Matthew.  "  Go  into  all  the 
world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature,"  says 
Mark.  "  Repentance  and  remission  of  sins  should  be 
preached  in  his  name  among  all  nations,"  is  Luke's 
form  of  the  message. 

With  this  difference  of  language  there  is  perfect  unity 
of  thought. 

God's  purpose,  the  Gospel  for  the  whole  world,  through 
the  preaching  of  Christ's  followers. 

When  the  disciples  returned  from  the  Mount  of  Olives 
on  ascension  day  zvorld-wide  triumph  or  world-ivide  de- 
feat was  before  them.  The  new  teaching  was  not  to  be 
a  religion,  but  the  religion  of  the  world. 

This  was  the  visible  fountain-head  of  the  missionary 
movement,  which  was  quickly  hidden  from  view  by  the 
local  interests  of  churches,  giving  only  here  and  there 
tokens  of  its  presence.  It  had  touched  Peter  and  forced 
him  over  the  Gentile  line  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  Cor- 
nelius ;  it  had  mingled  in  the  message  that  came  to  Saul 
after  he  had  seen  the  light  above  the  brightness  of  the 
noonday,  but  on  this  day  at  Antioch  the  hidden  current 
comes  forth,  "  Separate  me  Barnabas  and  Saul  for  the 
work  whereunto  /have  called  them." 

So  while  this  Spirit-commission  occupies  but  a  single 
line  of  the  chapter,  it  is  the  greatest  factor  in  the  prep- 
aration of  the  first  missionaries.     It  reaches  back  to  the 


378  BOS  TO  A'  HOMILIES. 

springs  of  God's  purpose,  it  is  the  clear  lake  out  of 
which  flows  the  current  that  is  still  on  its  way  to  the 
eternal  sea. 

It  has  been  said,  "  Find  out  God's  plan  for  the  age  in 
which  you  live,  and  then  sail  with  its  current."  These 
men  had  found  the  current  of  the  ages.  An  embassador 
in  their  time  carried  a  commission  from  his  king;  they 
had  tJieir  commission — "  the  Holy  Ghost  said." 

When  there  comes  to  us  some  great  blessing  from  the 
presence  of  God,  there  will  come  with  it  the  open  door 
toward  helpfulness,  and  we  will  hear,  if  we  listen  closely, 
the  old  message,  "  Separate  me  "  something  of  thine  for 
service. 

With  these  two  factors  before  us  let  us  note  the  third, 
which  includes  the  remainder  of  the  lesson. 

3.  These  Men  were  Obedient.  Having  waited  for  direc- 
tion from  God,  the  Church  received  it  willingly,  and  be- 
cause the  communication  had  come  in  the  midst  of  prayer 
they  continued  in  prayer ;  because  fasting  had  brought 
them  nearer  to  God,  they  fasted  still ;  and,  laying  their 
hands  on  the  chosen  ones  in  token  of  blessing,  sent  them 
forth. 

As  they  departed,  note  the  divinely  human  way  in  which 
they  went  about  their  zvork. 

The  exercise  of  common  sense  in  religious  matters  is 
always  a  token  of  the  presence  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

They  went  directly  to  the  nearest  sea-port,  Seleucia, 
and  took  ship  for  the  nearest  heathen  island,  Cyprus ; 
and,  hastily  touching  its  most  important  cities,  made  di- 


THE  FIRST  CHRISTIAN  MISSIONARIES.        379 

rectly  for  the  main-land  of  Pamphylia,  a  place  where  the 
various  races  met  and  mingled.  Phenicians,  Jews,  and 
Syrians  filled  the  cities  ;  Greek  culture  had  touched  the 
life  and  thought  of  the  people  while  Roman  government 
and  Roman  roads  held  them  with  bonds  of  steel  to  the 
imperial  city. 

God  always  directs  missionary  effort  to  centers  oi  dis- 
persion or  centers  oi power.  Saul,  preaching  in  the  cities 
of  "  all  tribes  land,"  was  in  centers  of  dispersion,  far  from 
whence  the  Gospel  would  be  carried  to  Athens  and 
Rome. 

With  this  wisdom  of  choice  there  was  an  intensely 
hujuan  element.  This  journey  was  a  home-going.  Cyprus 
was  the  home  of  Barnabas,  Pamphylia  bordered  close  on 
Paul's  native  land  ;  the  message  spoken  years  before  to 
another,  "  go  home  and  tell  thy  friends,"  re-echoed 
in  this  new  revelation.  This  is  the  normal  outcome  of 
the  two  preceding  factors,  earnestness  and  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

In  its  simplest  forms  it  is  the  impulse  to  help  some 
one  that  is  near  and  dear  to  us.  In  its  missionary  form 
it  is  the  world-enlightening  impulse  of  the  kingdom  of 
God,  just  as  acquisition  is  the  race  impulse  of  the  Anglo' 
Saxon, 

As  they  went  forth,  then,  obedience  was  sanctioned  by 
a  victory  over  the  powers  of  superstition.  The  work  at 
Paphos,  which  occupies  so  large  a  part  of  the  lesson  text, 
is  but  an  incident  by  the  way  in  the  great  movement 
that,   starting  at  Antioch,  is  to  reach  the  ends  of  the 


380  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

world.  Gospel  earnestness  and  gospel  obedience  came 
face  to  face  with  superstition,  and  the  touch  of  the  Spirit 
drove  the  pretender  into  disgrace. 

Such  has  been,  and  always  will  be,  the  history  of 
normal  missionary  work. 

Brother  of  mine,  whose  eye  may  have  rested  upon 
these  pages,  this  is  not  a  far-off  and  unusual  action  of 
God  that  has  passed  before  us.  As  the  image  of  the  sun 
is  mirrored  in  a  drop  of  dew,  so  in  every  soul  that  meets 
the  conditions  something  of  the  work  and  power  and 
blessedness  of  this  lesson  will  enter. 

If  you  wait  before  the  Lord  in  service  and  prayer  and 
interest  that  brings  to  men  the  true  fast  of  the  soul,  these 
things  will  come  to  you  in  their  nineteenth  century  gar- 
ments, the  Holy  Ghost  will  be  present,  the  message  will 
come,  "  Separate  me  a  portion  of  money,  of  service  ;  go 
tell  the  good  news  of  the  Gospel  to  the  nearest  Gen- 
tile," and  as  you  obey  you  will  be  in  touch  with  "  the 
first  missionaries." 

If  men  would  listen  with  the  devout  attention  of  Saul, 

the  world  would  hear  the  Gospel  within  the  next  fifty 

years. 

M.  F.  COLBURN. 


PAULS  FIRST  MISSIONARY  SERMON.  381 


VIII. 
PAUL'S  FIRST   MISSIONARY  SERMON. 

Acts  xiii,  26-43. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— To  you  is  the  word  of  this  salvation  sent.    Acts 

xiii,  26. 

By  a  missionary  sermon  in  these  modern  days  we  gen- 
erally mean  an  attempt  to  arouse  in  the  hearts  of  luke- 
warm or  imperfectly-informed  Christians  an  interest  in 
the  spread  of  the  Gospel.  Of  Paul's  first  missionary 
sermon  in  this  sense  we  have  no  record.  There  was  less 
need  of  such  exhortation  then,  in  that  the  heathen  were 
all  around  mingled  with  the  Christians,  and  nearly  all 
labor  for  "  those  without  "  was  missionary  labor  in  the 
strictest  meaning  of  the  term. 

Nor  is  this  sermon  which  we  are  called  to  consider  a 
missionary  sermon  in  the  sense  of  being  addressed  to  the 
heathen,  for  it  is  directed  exclusively  to  the  Jews  and 
to  such  proselytes  present  ("  those  among  you  that  fear 
God  ")  as  were  so  closely  associated  with  the  men  of 
Israel  that  they  could  be  reached  by  the  same  arguments. 
It  was  not  until  the  following  Sabbath  that  the  apostle, 
having  failed  to  make  any  extensive  impression  on  the 
Jews,  deliberately  turned  to  the  heathen  and  adapted 
his  teaching  to  their  needs.  In  the  ten  years  since 
he  was    converted   Paul  had    no   doubt   spoken    to    the 


S82  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

Jews  in  Damascus,  Jerusalem,  Tarsus,  and  Antioch  hun- 
dreds of  times,  but  this  is  the  earhest  of  his  discourses 
preserved  at  any  length,  and  as  it  occurs  during  what  is 
very  properly  called  his  first  missionary  journey  it  is 
sometimes  given  the  title  of  this  lesson. 

It  is  an  excellent  specimen  of  what  must  have  been 
the  usual  line  of  argument  adopted  by  him  when  plead- 
ing with  his  fellow-countrymen  in  the  synagogues.  Its 
striking  similarity  to  the  sermon  of  Peter  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost  (chap,  ii),  and  the  discourse  of  Stephen  be- 
fore his  murderers,  so  far  as  it  was  suffered  to  continue 
(chap,  vii),  shows  that  this  was  the  customary  course  of 
thought.  Nothing,  indeed,  could  be  more  natural  or 
more  suitable.  God's  marvelous  and  gracious  dealings 
with  the  nation  are  recounted — always  a  grateful  subject 
in  the  Jewish  ear,  well  adapted  to  catch  their  attention 
and  win  their  good-will.  Then  Jesus  is  shown  to  be  the 
predicted  seed  of  David,  the  promised  Messiah  or  Sav- 
iour fulfilling  the  prophets  and  meeting  the  require- 
ments of  the  law.  His  resurrection,  so  well  attested  by 
competent  and  reliable  eye-witnesses,  is  triumphantly 
proclaimed  as  a  complete  vindication  of  his  claims ;  and 
the  salvation  from  sin  which  can  be  procured  in  no  other 
way  is  earnestly  pressed  upon  their  immediate  attention 
as  their  clear  privilege  and  duty  in  him. 

It  is  instructive  to  note  how  different  the  course  he 
took  with  the  barbarians  of  Lycaonia  (chap,  xiv)  and 
with  the  Athenians  on  Mars'  Hill  (chap.  xvii).  Paul 
was  an  orator  of  the  first  class,  and  never  made  the  mis- 


PAULS  FIRST  MISSIONARY  SERMON.  383 

take  of  forgetting  to  study  his  audience  and  to  speak  to 
each  man  in  his  own  tongue — that  is,  with  such  words 
as  he  would  be  most  likely  to  understand. 

The  sermon,  as  a  whole,  is  an  excellent  model  for 
preachers  and  teachers  every-where.  He  uttered  bold 
and  thrilling  thoughts  that  went  straight  home  to  the 
hearts  of  his  hearers.  He  was  faithful  and  fearless.  He 
begged  no  one's  pardon  for  the  truth.  None  could  mis- 
understand his  meaning.  He  stated  the  central  facts  of 
the  Gospel  with  great  directness  and  simplicity.  His 
sentences  searched  the  souls  of  the  sinners  before  him. 
He  was  plain  and  personal,  loyal  and  logical,  skillful  and 
scriptural,  and,  in  a  measure,  successful. 

Paul  rings  out  with  abundant  vehemence  the  solemn 
warning  word,  Beware.  Should  not  every  true  preacher, 
every  earnest  gospel  worker,  do  it  ?  Persistent  unbe- 
lievers who  despise  the  mercy  of  God,  he  said,  shall  be 
destroyed.  And  in  another  place  he  writes,  with  his 
own  hand  to  give  it  special  emphasis,  "  If  any  man  love 
not  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  let  him  be  Anathema."  The 
gospel  of  gush  and  mawkish  sentimentality,  of  which  we 
have  more  than  enough  in  some  quarters  at  present,  is 
not  that  which  either  Scripture  or  nature  declares.  Men 
such  as  Paul  would  spew  it  with  vehemence  out'of  their 
mouths. 

But,  of  course,  we  are  not  to  be  all  severity  all  the 
time.  And  we  find  in  this  sermon  no  lack  of  gentle- 
ness and  sympathy,  courtesy  and  comfort.  There  was 
clear  announcement  of  good  tidings  (ver.  32)  and  remis- 


38^  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

sion  of  sins  (ver.  38).  There  was  full  recognition  of  the 
fact,  too  often  forgotten,  even  at  present,  that  there  were 
those  of  Gentile  or  heathen  stock  who  nevertheless  truly 
feared  God  (ver.  26) ;  recognition  also  that  the  guilt  of  the 
Jews  who  killed  Jesus  was  mitigated  by  their  ignorance 
(ver.  27). 

Paul  was  the  very  one  to  remember  this  latter  impor- 
tant point  with  all  its  consolatory  implication,  because 
it  was  just  the  direction  in  which  he  himself  had  found  a 
door  of  mercy  (i  Tim.  i,  13).  May  we  not  say  it  is  the 
only  door  of  mercy  that  any  one  can  find  ?  Christ's 
prayer  on  the  cross,  *'  Father,  forgive  them  ;  for  they 
know  not  what  they  do,"  assumes  that  had  they  known 
what  they  did  they  could  not  have  been  forgiven.  Where 
there  is  willful,  deliberate,  open-eyed  rejection  of  truth 
by  those  who  have  been  fully  "  enlightened  and  made 
partakers  of  the  Holy  Ghost  "  (Heb.  vi,  4;  x,  26)  it  is 
manifestly  impossible  to  renew  them  again  unto  repent- 
ance, and  there  remaineth  no  more  sacrifice  for  sins,  but 
only  a  fearful  expectation  of  judgment  and  devouring 
fire.  This  is  taught  clearly  in  many  parts  of  Scripture, 
and  also  by  reason,  since  there  can  be  no  repentance  or 
change  of  mind  except  by  the  accession  of  new  light,  and 
hence  if  all  possible  light  has  been  received  and  rejected 
there  will  inevitably  be  persistence  in  evil  with  its  accru- 
ing punishment. 

Yet  no  one  can  go  free  or  be  absolved  on  account  of 
his  ignorance  alone,  it  should  be  remembered,  so  long 
as   that  ignorance    is    not    complete   and    unavoidable. 


PAULS  FIRST  MISSIONARY  SERMON.  385 

Neither  in  Paul's  case,  nor  in  that  of  any  of  the  Jews  to 
whom  he  or  the  other  apostles  preached,  was  this  true. 
They  might  have  known  had  they  with  entire  honesty 
and  sincerity  investigated.  They  suffered  themselves  to 
be  blinded  by  their  prejudices  and  passions,  their  self- 
interest  and  self-will — which  is  just  what  happens  now. 
There  is  always  truth  enough  for  him  who  is  thoroughly 
in  earnest  to  know  it.  But  there  is  not  enough  to  com- 
pel conviction  where  there  is  a  disposition  to  avoid  it. 
He  who  seeks  an  excuse  for  gratifying  his  own  perverse 
nature  can  always  find  one  that  can  be  made  to  answer ; 
and  he  who  seeks  the  light  with  his  whole  heart  will 
sooner  or  later  find  that. 

Another  point  of  which  much  is  made,  both  in  this 
sermon  and  Peter's,  is  that  the  death  of  Jesus  was  in  no 
sense  a  divine  defeat,  but  a  victory  of  Providence  in 
spite  of  men,  a  fulfillment  of  prophecy  and  a  confirma- 
tion of  Scripture,  even  though  much  wickedness  was 
mixed  up  in  the  event.  They  fulfilled  the  prophets  by 
condemning  him  (ver.  2"/).  Though  lawless  men  slew 
him,  yet  he  was  "  delivered  up  by  the  determinate  coun- 
sel and  foreknowledge  of  God"  (chap,  ii,  23;  iii,  18). 
There  is  here  one  of  the  mightiest  consolations  for  all 
who  are  persecuted  and  afflicted  at  the  hands  of  men 
that  can  possibly  be  brought  forward.  The  designs  of 
men  are  one  thing ;  those  of  God,  who  uses  the  former, 
taking  them  up  into  his  plans  and  turning  them  to  good 
account,  are  quite  another.  It  has  been  well  compared 
to  the  difference  between  the  purpose  of  the  leech  who 


386  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

sucks  human  blood,  intending  only  his  own  gratification, 
and  the  higher,  beneficent  purpose  of  the  physician  who 
applies  the  leech  for  the  relief  or  cure  of  the  patient. 
Joseph's  brethren  thought  evil  against  him,  and  tried  to 
do  him  harm,  but  God  all  the  time  meant  it  for  good  to 
save  much  people  alive.  Precisely  so  is  it  in  all  the  so- 
called  calamities  which  come  to  God's  people.  They 
may  spring  in  one  sense  from  human  mistake  or  malice, 
since  God  does  not  (indeed,  cannot  so  long  as  men  are 
free  agents)  interfere  with  their  volitions  ;  but  since  he 
can  and  does,  whenever  he  sees  fit,  interfere  with  the 
carrying  out  of  those  volitions  externally  in  the  realm 
of  matter,  in  the  truest  sense  he  is  the  author  of  what- 
ever reaches  us,  and  he  does  not  permit  it  to  reach  us 
unless  he  perceives  that  it  will  work  us  good.  With  this 
sure  foundation  for  our  faith,  disappointment  is  de- 
stroyed and  calamity  robbed  of  all  power  to  harm. 

At  least  two  other  great  doctrines  were  treated  with 
more  or  less  fullness  in  this  wonderful  sermon  of  which, 
of  course,  we  have  only  a  sort  of  abstract,  a  brief  out- 
line. In  verse  30  we  have  the  thrilling  announcement, 
*'  God  raised  him  from  the  dead."  Nothing  is  more 
prominent  in  all  the  apostle-preaching  than  the  resurrec- 
tion of  Jesus.  It  is  the  central  truth  with  which  they 
were  specially  charged  as  witnesses.  And  the  reason  for 
their  thus  insisting  on  its  vital  importance  it  is  not  diffi- 
cult to  understand,  since  had  the  Christ  not  come  out 
of  the  tomb  his  mission  would  have  been  a  proved 
and   confessed    failure.      It   is  the   one   pivotal    miracle 


PAUL'S  FIRST  MISSIONARY  SERMON.  S87 

which  makes  all  other  miracles  natural  and  easy  to 
credit.  "  Dost  thou  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  rose  from 
the  dead  ?  "  is  the  infallible  test-question  which  exposes 
the  rationalist  or  discovers  the  true  believer  in  super- 
natural religion. 

In  verses  38,  39,  a  second  great  doctrine — justification 
by  faith — the  chief  theme  of  Paul's  epistles,  stands  out 
clearly  to  view.  The  marked  superiority  of  Christian- 
ity to  Judaism  is  here  fearlessly  proclaimed,  so  far  as  we 
know,  for  the  first  time.  Stephen  had  begun  to  develop 
the  doctrine,  but  Paul,  convicted  by  Stephen's  death, 
was  the  chosen  vessel  appointed  to  take  up  and  carry  on 
Stephen's  work.  He  made  it  the  grand  aim  of  his  life 
to  set  forth  unmistakably  in  the  presence  of  all  who 
would  give  him  a  hearing  the  only  answer  to  the  great 
question,  How  shall  man  be  justified  with  God  ?  And 
that  answer  was.  Through  this  Man  of  whom  David  and 
the  prophets  spoke,  and  whom  the  people  of  Jerusalem 
slew,  but  whom  God  raised  up. 

This  lesson  presents  plentiful  material  for  study.  Let 
the  Scripture  quotations  that  are  imbedded  in  it  be  ex- 
amined. There  are  at  least  seven,  besides  an  extract,  in 
verse  25,  from  what  may  be  styled  the  oral  gospel,  not  at 
that  time  anywhere  yet  written  down.  It  is  instructive 
also  to  note  the  parallelisms  between  some  parts  of  this 
sermon  and  special  verses  in  Paul's  epistles,  for  the  same 
shades  of  thought  are  brought  out  in  one  as  in  the  other 
— an  incidental  confirmation  of  the  genuineness  of  both. 
With  verse   33   compare   Rom.  i,  4  ;  with  verse  34  com- 


388  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

pare  Rom.  vi,   9  ;  and  with  verse  39  compare   Rom.  vi, 
7,  and  viii,  3. 

What  was  the  effect  of  this  sermon  ?  Truth  is  always 
a  test,  disclosing  the  heart.  In  this  case  many  of  both 
classes  of  hearers,  Jews  and  proselytes,  received  the 
word  with  gladness  and  entered  into  the  grace  of  God. 
And  such  was  the  excitement  produced,  as  the  matter 
was  talked  over  during  the  week,  that  almost  the  whole 
city  came  next  time  to  the  preaching.  How  rejoiced 
the  apostles  must  have  been  !  But,  like  many  later 
evangelists,  they  were  forced  soon  to  lament  the  speedy 
turning  against  them  of  some  that  seemed  zealous  for 
the  truth.  It  would  seem  that  practically  all  the  Jews, 
urged  on  by  bitter  bigotry,  fierce  jealousy,  and  obstinate 
pride  of  race,  eventually  judged  themselves  unworthy  of 
eternal  life.  But  it  was  not  the  fault  of  the  sermon  nor 
of  the  preacher. 

The  human  heart  is  ever  the  same  from  generation  to 
generation.  And  if  we  modern  preachers  or  exhorters  meet 
often  with  scant  or  ephemeral  success  we  can  certainly  find 
some  comfort  in  the  thought  that  Paul  the  apostle,  and 
even  Jesus  the  Christ,  had  the  same  experience  in  their 
time.  To  deserve  success  is  the  limit  of  human  respon- 
sibility. To  award  it  in  his  own  good  time — at  the  last 
great  day,  if  not  before — is  God's  supreme  prerogative. 

James  Mudge. 


APOSTLES   TURNING   TO   THE  GENTILES.      389 


IX. 

THE  APOSTLES  TURNING  TO  THE  GENTILES. 

Acts  xiii,  44-52 ;  xiv,  1-7. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— I  have  set  thee  to  be  a  light  of  the  Gentiles. 

Acts  xiii,  47. 

We  are  struck  that  in  the  year  46  of  our  era  the  word 
of  the  Lord  was  magnified.  St.  Paul,  accompanied 
by  Barnabas,  was  on  his  first  missionary  journey.  It 
was  in  the  above  year,  according  to  Mr.  Lewin,  that  they 
were  at  Antioch  in  Pisidia,  Iconium,  Lystra,  and  Derbe. 
We  read  in  the  lesson  :  "  Came  ahnost  the  whole  city  to- 
gether to  hear  the  word  of  God"  (ver.  44) ;  "  a  great 
multitude  believed  "  (xiv,  i)  ;  and  "  there  they  preached 
the  gospel"  (xiv,  7).  All  this  amounts  to  both  a  faithful 
presentation  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and  an  en- 
couraging reception  of  it.  These  facts  bring  joy  to  all 
Christians.  We  know  that  there  is  no  instrument  more 
powerful  in  lifting  one  into  the  life  of  Jesus  than  the 
Word  of  God  ;  we  are  pleased  to  perceive  its  power  in 
these  early  times. 

We  must  not  fail  to  look  for  the  CAUSE  of  the  apostles' 
turning  to  the  Gentiles,  for  the  reason  why  these  mag- 
nified the  Word  of  God  more  than  the  Jews.  One  ele- 
ment of  the  explanation  is  that  these  Jews  of  Asia 
Minor  had  dropped  into  the  Hebrew  habit  of  stubborn- 


S90  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

ness.  It  did  not  take  a  very  great  provocation  to  bring 
the  Jewish  people  to  a  point  of  contradiction,  and  when 
they  had  established  themselves  in  it  it  was  almost  im- 
possible to  dislodge  them.  They  helped  to  undermine 
their  claims  on  Paul  and  Barnabas  by  contradicting 
(ver.  45). 

Another  element  in  the  apostles'  turning  was  the  blas- 
phemy of  the  Jews.  Associated  with  their  habit  of  stub- 
bornness was  their  foolish  and  uncontrolled  speaking. 
Stubbornness  with  many  peoples  is  accompanied  by  sul- 
lenness.  But  it  was  not  so  with  the  Jew;  when  his 
opposition  was  aroused  he  became  sad,  and  he  also 
became  fiercely  demonstrative  in  word  and  action.  He 
would  call  down  the  most  profane  curses  upon  the  heads 
of  others,  and  even  upon  himself.  Thus  the  Jews  of  the 
cities  in  the  lesson  no  doubt  shocked  the  ears  of  the 
apostles  with  their  outrageous  language. 

The  chief  component  of  the  sinful  condition  of  the 
Jews,  which  ultimately  caused  the  alienation  of  the 
apostles  from  them,  was  envy  (ver.  45).  They  were  an 
intolerant  people ;  they  could  not  brook  seeing  other 
nations  enjoying  privileges  superior  to  their  own,  es- 
pecially if  these  were  of  a  religious  character.  They 
would  forget  that  an  utterance  of  a  choice  spirit  among 
them  had  been,  "Thy  way  may  be  known  upon  earth,  thy 
saving  health  among  all  nations."  The  mass  of  the  Jews 
Avere  ready  at  the  slightest  suggestion  to  fly  off  into  the 
most  extreme  envy.  Possibly  this  is  a  disposition  that 
has  not  been  entirely  outgrown. 


APOSTLES   TURNING    TO    THE  GENTILES.      391 

There  is  no  doubt  that  in  the  plan  of  God's  grace  the 
Jews  had  the  first  claim  on  the  Gospel.  They  were  the 
original  custodians  of  the  oracles  of  God.  Any  develop- 
ment that  human  salvation  would  pass  through  might  be 
expected  to  occur  in  their  race.  Indeed,  this  was  the 
manner  in  which  the  supreme  work  in  Christ  began. 
John  the  Baptist,  the  avant-coiiricr,  was  a  Jew  of  the 
purest  blood  ;  one  phase  of  Jesus's  glory  was  that  he  was 
of  the  seed  of  David.  But  the  time  came  when  the  whole 
world  were  brought  in  as  heritors  of  the  gospel  promises, 
and  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  natural  order  of  things 
seemed  reversed. 

In  this  connection  we  wish  to  notice  the  ACT  of  the 
apostles'  turning  to  the  Gentiles.  The  matter  had  come 
to  an  issue  ;  the  Jews  had  cherished  sin  until  as  a  nation 
they  were  past  hope  ;  the  great,  needy  world  stood  wait- 
ing; what  else  could  the  apostles  do  but  go  to  the  re- 
lief of  the  Gentiles  ?  Paul  and  Barnabas,  representing 
the  spirit  of  Christianity,  with  courage  to  decide  in  the 
emergency,  said,  "  Lo,  we  turn  to  the  nations  of  the 
world  "  (ver.  46). 

We  should  not  fail  to  mark  emphatically  the  MEANS 
by  which  the  turning  of  the  apostles  was  necessitated. 
These  were  certain  acts  of  the  Jews  themselves.  They 
were  envy,  blasphemy,  and  contradiction,  and  they  were 
self-chosen  acts.  The  responsibility  of  having  lost  their 
claims  on  the  Gospel  rested  on  themselves.  Hence  the 
apostles  use  the  incisive  words  found  in  verse  46,  "  See- 
ing ye  put  it  from  you,  and  judge  yourselves  unworthy 


892  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

of  everlasting  life."  Jewish  peoples,  if  at  any  time  dur- 
ing the  Christian  centuries  they  have  felt  themselves 
abased  temporally  or  spiritually — and  so  they  must  have 
felt  themselves  when  they  have  seen  the  glory  of  Christ's 
kingdom — have  had  this  thought  to  reflect  upon,  that 
they  brought  the  condition  upon  themselves. 

Further,  we  should  notice  clearly  THAT  TO  WHICH  the 
apostles  turned.  It  was  to  "  Christ  for  the  whole  world." 
Paul  and  Barnabas  wanted  to  be  sure  of  their  position, 
and  so  looked  back  to  the  prophet  Isaiah  and  heard  him 
saying,  in  harmony  with  the  broadest  spirit  of  Judaism, 
"  I  have  set  thee  to  be  a  light  of  the  Gentiles  "  (ver.  47). 
These  apostles  did  not  thereby  become  renegade  Jews. 
They  in  the  first  place  fulfilled  the  highest  conception  of 
Judaism,  and  in  the  next  place  became  Christian  men. 
Their  sympathies  now  were  bounded  by  no  nationality ; 
their  vision  ranged  over  the  earth  and  took  in  all  lands 
and  peoples,  even  nations  yet  unborn. 

It  does  not  do  violence  to  the  prophetic  spirit  of  these 
two  representative  apostles  to  say  that  their  joyous 
thought  of  their  work  comprehended  individual  men  and 
women.  They  rejoiced  to  think  that  we  all  would  have 
personally  a  part  in  the  salvation  of  Christ. 

Then  there  is  the  effect  of  the  apostles  turning  to 
the  Gentiles.  As  respects  the  native  residents  of  these 
cities  in  the  lesson,  at  least  those  receiving  the  Gospel, 
there  was  joy.  We  cannot  help  but  think  that  those  too 
callous  to  open  their  hearts  to  the  truth  felt  a  sensation 
of  gladness  that  the  way  to  Christ  was  offered  to  them. 


APOSTLES   TURNING   TO   THE  GENTILES.      393 

Verse  48  is  explicit  on  this  point.  They  rejoiced  not 
only  over  the  general  truth  that  the  apostles  had  turned 
to  them,  but  with  that  same  personal  joy  that  we  all 
have  realized  as  Christians.  So  great  was  their  gladness 
that  they  and  the  apostles  saw  that  these  saved  Gentiles 
were  among  those  whom  God's  great  plan  of  salvation 
contemplated. 

Just  what  the  basis  of  church  life  was  in  these  very 
early  times  we  do  not  exactly  know.  We  are  informed  of  it 
sufficiently,  at  least,  to  be  sure  that  there  was  a  substan- 
tial basis.  We  know  that  as  far  back  as  the  day  of 
Pentecost  following  Jesus's  ascension  the  disciples  were 
adding  to  the  Church.  We  may  be  certain,  therefore,  that 
these  Asiatic  converts,  as  well  as  the  Jews,  were  gathered 
into  Christian  churches.  There  is  in  this  a  lesson  for 
many  in  modern  times.  They  are  willing  to  acknowledge 
the  value  of  Christianity ;  they  confess  possibly  a  per- 
sonal relation  to  Christ,  but  they  hesitate  about  coming 
into  full  communion  with  the  Church.  Not  so  were  the 
actions  of  the  early  Christians  ! 

We  are  somewhat  surprised  at  the  position  assumed 
by  the  influential  women  of  Antioch  as  indicated  in 
verse  50.  We  are  accustomed  to  see  women  have 
power  in  religious  matters,  but  it  is  usually  power  for 
good.  The  explanation  here  seems  to  be  something  like 
this :  There  were  certain  Antiochian  women  who  had  be- 
come proselytes  to  Judaism.  These  were  turned  by  the 
Jews  against  the  apostles  and  their  work.    These  women 

were  of  influence,  or  else  they  persuaded  other  women 
17* 


394  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

of  influence  to  assist  in  prejudicing  the  men  of  the  city 
against  the  Gospel.  We  see  in  the  case  of  these  women 
of  honor  how  much  harm  influence  can  accomplish. 

Things  soon  reached  a  point  in  Antioch  of  Pisidia 
that  rendered  it  unwise  for  Paul  and  Barnabas  to  remain 
there  any  longer  at  that  time.  It  was  hard,  no  doubt,  for 
them  to  go.  They  had  collected  a  church  there  which 
would  have  been  much  benefited  by  further  ministra- 
tions of  theirs.  To  have  attempted  to  stay  would  prob- 
ably have  been  for  them  to  incur  death,  and  to  bring 
still  more  persecutions  on  the  Church.  So,  with  heart 
bursting  and  soul  strong,  they  followed  the  Master's 
command  to  shake  off  the  dust  of  their  feet,  and 
departed. 

And  yet  the  apostles  were  not  without  joy  at  the 
moment  of  their  departure,  a  fact  that  would  have 
seemed  strange  to  those  persecuting  them.  "We  are 
destroying  their  work,  and  are  causing  them  to  suffer," 
the  persecutors  would  say.  But  they  were  mistaken. 
Paul  and  Barnabas  knew  that  the  seed  they  had  sown 
could  not  be  stamped  out  by  man  ;  their  physical  pain 
they  counted  as  nothing  that  their  Lord  might  be  mag- 
nified. So,  with  a  reality  that  only  the  child  of  God  can 
understand,  "  the  disciples  were  filled  with  joy  and  with 
the  Holy  Ghost." 

So  the  two  apostles  left  Antioch  and  struck  out 
south-eastward,  conquered  but  conquering  messengers  of 
God.  The  next  place  the  sacred  record  tells  us  of  their 
stopping  at  was  Iconium,  fifty  or  seventy-five  miles  away. 


APOSTLES   TURNING    TO    THE  GENTILES.      395 

Here  their  preaching  was  accompanied  with  the  same 
power.  Here  again  they  found  human  nature  was 
marked  by  very  bad  lines.  Many  Jews  and  many  Gen- 
tiles were  gathered  into  a  church ;  their  duty  to  the 
Greek  and  other  elements  in  the  native  population  was 
no  longer  a  doubt  in  the  apostles'  minds.  Again  fanat- 
ical enmity,  fomented  by  the  Jews,  and  probably  also  by 
Satan,  compelled  them  after  a  time  to  flee. 

Chapter  xiv,  3,  tells  us  that  at  Iconium  the  apostles 
performed  miraculous  deeds.  We  are  interested  to  note 
the  preservation  of  this  power  among  the  disciples  of  our 
Lord;  it  continued  also  for  some  time  after  this.  In  the 
abounding  zeal  of  the  apostles  miracles  were  as  natural 
as  eloquent  words  and  warm  thoughts  in  others.  There 
was  some  danger  in  the  exercise  of  this  power.  At 
Lystra  Paul  and  Barnabas  barely  escaped  being  wor- 
shiped. Miracles  are  not  always  the  best  credentials  of. 
religion. 

Again  a  weary  journey  on  foot  for  the  two  apostles, 
twenty  miles  to  Lystra;  later,  forty  more  to  Derbe. 
Probably  these  wanderings  were  broken  to  some  extent 
by  private  presentations  of  the  truth  in  houses,  or  some- 
what publicly  in  villages  (ver.  6).  After  all,  the  work 
was  not  as  dreary  as  it  might  look.  Two  cities,  and 
many  hamlets  and  homes,  were  receiving  the  Gospel. 
There  was  the  inspiration  of  the  personal  contact  of  the 
truth  with  men. 

Christianity  is  a  vastly  different  thing  to-day  from 
what  it  was  in  the  year  46  A.  D.     But  the  germs  of  the 


396  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

present  gigantic  growth  were  beginning  to  sprout  then. 
The  same  principles  of  progress  and  retardation  have 
ahvays  prevailed.  Oftentimes  yet  stubborn,  Jew-like 
obstacles  will  stand  in  the  way ;  we  must  then  turn  to 
broader  Gentile  forms  of  life.  The  Gospel  then  ad- 
vanced ;  it  has  always  advanced ;  it  will  advance  until  it 
shall  permeate  every  nation  and  every  form  of  life. 

J.  D.  Spriggs. 


IVOA'K  AMONG    THE  GENTILES.  397 


X. 

WORK  AMONG  THE  GENTILES. 

Acts  xiv,  8-22. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— In  his  name  shall  the  Gentiles  trust. 
Matt,  xii,  21. 

The  apostles  were  on  their  final  missionary  tour. 
Called  and  separated  to  the  work  of  proclaiming  the 
gospel  message  to  the  Gentile  world,  they  had  gone 
forth  on  their  great  errand  of  evangelization.  Several 
important  places  had  been  visited  with  marked  evi- 
dences of  the  adaptation  of  the  Gospel  to  all  who  heard 
and  would  receive  their  message.  Persecuted  at  Antioch 
in  Pisidia,  and  also  at  Iconium,  they  heeded  the  Mas- 
ter's injunction,  **  When  they  persecute  you  in  one  city, 
flee  ye  into  another."  They  have  come  now  to  Lystra,  a 
city  of  Lycaonia,  the  exact  site  of  which  is  unknown. 
Here,  as  they  enter  upon  their  ministry,  they  encounter 
one  of  those  cases  of  physical  need  which  always  ap- 
pear to  the  true  Christian  worker.  While  the  apostle 
was  addressing  the  crowd,  gathered  possibly  in  some 
one  of  the  public  thoroughfares  of  the  city,  and  while 
unfolding  the  Gospel  of  power  he  had  come  to  proclaim, 
there  was  one  face  at  least  which  lighted  up  with 
heaven-born  hope.  Life-long  disease  had  prepared  the 
way  for  the  message  of  life.    The  apostle  was  not  slow  to 


398  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

recognize  the  springing  up  of  faith  in  the  heart  of  the 
poor  cripple.  That  penetrative  look  which  once  before  on 
this  apostolic  journey  had  revealed  such  power  of  dis- 
cernment discerned  the  one  condition  on  which  help 
could  be  granted.  A  single  word,  and  deliverance  comes. 
None  could  doubt  the  presence  of  extraordinary  power. 
Like  the  lame  man  at  the  Temple  gate  in  Jerusalem,  his 
bonds  being  broken,  he  leaps  and  walks. 

The  effect  of  this  miracle  was  to  attract  immediate 
attention  to  the  apostles.  The  city  was  under  the  tute- 
lage of  Jupiter,  whose  statue  stood  just  outside  the 
city's  gates.  The  worship  of  this  deity  was  a  regular 
feature  in  the  life  of  the  people.  According  to  the  tradi- 
tion which  prevailed  among  them,  it  was  not  uncommon 
for  the  gods  to  assume  human  form  and  appear  among 
men.  There  was  even  a  story  that  not  far  from  their 
own  city  such  an  occurrence  had  actually  been  wit- 
nessed, and  Jupiter  and  Mercury  had  really  appeared  in 
human  form.  It  is  not  so  much,  then,  a  cause  for  won- 
der that  the  apostles  were  looked  upon  as  divine  visit- 
ants and  worthy  of  being  treated  with  divine  honors. 
According  to  the  early  custom  of  "  making  the  tallest 
king,"  they  identify  Barnabas  as  Jupiter,  and  Paul  as  his 
winged  messenger,  Mercurius. 

The  common  dialect  of  the  people  being  unknown  to 
the  apostles,  the  preparations  for  such  honors  are  well- 
nigh  matured  before  their  purpose  is  apprehended. 
Headed  by  the  priest  of  their  idolatrous  worship,  the 
procession,  with  the  oxen  and  garlands  for  sacrifice,  has 


WORK  AMONG    THE  GENTILES.  399 

already  begun  to  move  toward  the  gates  of  the  city. 
Paul  and  Barnabas  are  to  be  worshiped  !  But  no ;  the 
proceedings  are  interrupted.  Paul  and  his  companion 
discover  now  the  meaning  of  this  pageant.  Horrified 
at  the  indignity  which  such  an  act  would  cast  upon  Him 
whose  servants  they  were,  they  protest  with  earnest 
words  that  they  are  but  men  of  like  passions  with 
those  who  would  do  them  honor.  With  well-directed 
words  they  are  exhorted  to  turn  from  the  vanities  of 
heathen  worship  to  Him  who  is  the  living  God,  the 
Creator  of  heaven  and  earth,  who,  though  seemingly 
unmindful  of  the  nations  who  have  gone  astray  from 
him,  is  yet  the  beneficent  source  of  all  good. 

The  address  of  the  apostle  only  served  to  intensify 
the  superstitious  regard  which  they  feel  toward  their 
strange  guests.  Hardly  are  they  restrained  from  offering 
the  sacrifice  due  to  celestial  visitants.  Popularity,  how- 
ever, is  often  but  short-lived.  But  a  few  hours  pass  and 
a  complete  revulsion  of  feeling  occurs.  Unbelieving 
Jews  who  have  come  all  the  way  from  Antioch  and  Ico- 
nium  find  it  no  difficult  matter  to  persuade  a  supersti- 
tious and  fickle-minded  people  that  the  apostles  are  em- 
issaries of  Satan  and  worthy  only  of  death.  Paul  is 
stoned  in  the  streets  of  the  city  and  carried  forth  appar- 
ently dead  outside  the  city's  gates.  The  faith,  however, 
which  had  sprung  into  existence  at  the  stoning  of  the 
first  martyr,  Stephen,  could  only  gain  strength  by  such 
persecution.  Paul  is  not  dead.  As  the  few  faithful 
disciples  who  gather  about  him  gaze  upon  his  seemingly 


JiOO  BOSTON  HOMILIES, 

lifeless  form,  lo  !  his  spirit  revives,  and,  rising  up,  he 
boldly  enters  the  city  to  suffer  still  further,  if  need  be, 
for  the  truth's  sake.  The  next  day,  with  his  companion, 
he  visits  Derbe,  which  marks  the  extreme  limit  of  his 
first  missionary  tour.  At  this  point  Paul  was  not  far 
from  his  early  home.  The  temptation,  if  such  there 
was,  to  visit  these  old  scenes  was  easily  resisted,  and 
they  decide  to  return  again  by  the  same  route  they  had 
followed  thus  far.  Truth  planted  must  be  watered. 
The  few  disciples  who  had  been  gathered  must  be  com- 
forted and  confirmed.  And  so  they  return  to  exhort  them 
to  continue  in  the  faith  and  to  teach  that  we  "  must 
through  much  tribulation  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
God." 

So  much  for  the  narrative.  Let  us  notice  several 
things. 

I.  The  Gospel,  Whenever  and  Wherever  Preached,  is  a 
Ministry  of  Helpfulness.  The  weak  and  helpless  are  con- 
fined to  no  single  locality.  Alike  under  the  shadow  of 
Jupiter's  statue  at  Lystra  and  the  Temple  of  Jehovah  at 
Jerusalem,  suffering  humanity  appeals  for  help.  Fet- 
tered limbs,  sightless  eyes,  and  deaf  ears  invite  sym- 
pathy and  power.  To  all  such  the  Gospel  is  a  message 
of  hope.  "  Then  shall  the  lame  man  leap  as  a  hart, 
and  the  tongue  of  the  dumb  sing."  "  Go  and  show  John 
again  those  things  which  ye  do  hear  and  see  :  the  blind 
receive  their  sight,  and  the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are 
cleansed,  and  the  deaf  hear,  the  dead  are  raised  up,  and 
the  poor  have  the  gospel  preached  to  them." 


WORK  AMONG    THE   GENTILES.  40I 

But  what  are  fettered  limbs  compared  with  souls  that 
are  bound  and  cramped  with  evil  appetites?  The  greater 
help  is  needed  by  those  who  are  spiritually  lame  and 
helpless.  If  miracles  of  physical  healing  in  the  early 
time  prepared  the  way  for  the  reception  of  spiritual 
truth,  much  more  do  those  wrought  in  the  souls  of  men 
to-day.  The  proof  that  Christ  is  come  is  seen  in  the 
men  and  women  who  are  placed  upon  their  feet.  The 
Lystrians  were  right  in  their  inference.  The  lame  man 
leaping  and  walking  before  their  very  eyes  was  an  indis- 
putable proof  of  a  divine  power  operating  among  them. 
So  are  men  and  women  restored  to  spiritual  soundness 
to-day. 

2.  T/ie  Sincerity  and  Loyalty  of  the  Apostles.  The 
healing  of  the  lame  man  fixed  the  attention  of  the  peo- 
ple upon  Paul  and  Barnabas.  They  became  at  once  the 
most  popular  men  in  the  city.  The  priest  of  Jupiter 
vies  with  the  people  in  paying  them  honor.  What  an 
opportunity  to  observe  the  character  of  the  men  who 
were  chosen  to  proclaim  first  the  Gospel  of  Christ  to  the 
world  !  How  easy  at  such  a  time  for  selfish  motives 
and  the  lack  of  a  true  devotion,  if  such  existed,  to  be 
revealed  !  More  than  one  messenger  of  truth  has  proved 
himself  unequal  to  resist  the  influence  of  popular  favor. 
The  apostles,  however,  were  true  MINISTERS.  There  was 
nothing  of  the  priestly  cast  about  them.  Called  to  be 
servants,  they  were  only  satisfied  when  their  Master  was 
honored.  All  undue  attention  given  to  them  would  only 
detract  from  the  homage  due  their  divine  Lord. 


JfOS  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

They  became  thus  fit  examples  to  all  who  are  seeking 
praise  of  men  and  fail  to  remember  whose  they  are  and 
whom  they  serve.  We  may  well  rejoice  that  the  cause 
of  truth  has  been  served  by  so  many  who  have  been  con- 
tent only  as  Christ  has  been  honored  by  their  service. 

3.  The  Proper  Adaptation  of  the  Truth.  Different 
people  demand  different  presentation  of  the  truth.  The 
readiness  of  the  Lystrians  to  see  in  the  apostles  divine 
impersonations  proclaimed  their  desire,  and  as  well  the 
profound  desire  of  all  heathendom,  for  an  incarnation  of 
Deity.  There  is  much  in  heathen  mythology  that  points 
toward  the  truth.  The  speech  of  the  apostles  was 
suited  to  the  occasion.  It  was  thoroughly  Pauline. 
There  is  much  in  it,  both  in  sentiment  and  language, 
that  reminds  us  of  his  teaching  at  other  times.  There 
is  a  bold  proclamation  of  God  as  the  living  One,  in 
whose  incarnate  life  their  heathen  tradition  was  more 
than  realized.  For  proofs  of  his  living  presence  in  the 
world  they  are  directed  to  those  evidences  of  his  crea- 
tive power  which  were  all  about  them.  The  heavens 
and  the  earth  are  the  work  of  his  hands. 

Though  it  was  true  that  special  revelation  of  his 
power  and  goodness  had  been  granted  to  a  single  na- 
tion only,  yet  no  nation  had  been  left  without  some  wit- 
ness to  his  beneficent  love  and  goodness.  Rain  and 
fruitful  seasons,  significant  blessings  to  the  people  living 
in  such  a  barren  district  as  Lycaonia,  proclaimed  his 
thoughtful  care  and  presence.  Idolatry  had  no  place 
under  the  teaching  of  natural  religion.     "  The  invisible 


IV0/?JC  AMONG   THE  GENTILES.  ^OS 

things  of  him  from  the  creation  of  the  world  are  clearly 
seen,  being  understood  by  the  things  that  are  made,  even 
his  eternal  power  and  Godhead  ;  so  that  they  are  with- 
out excuse."  Such  teaching  was  eminently  fitted  to  the 
people  addressed.  We  read  that  at  Iconium  "  they  so 
spake  that  a  great  multitude  both  of  the  Jews  and  of  the 
Greeks  believed." 

4.  The  Worthlessness  of  Religious  Feeling  Ufiless  Sup- 
ported by  Intelligejit  Convictions  of  the  Truth.  Human 
nature  in  any  of  its  phases  is  an  interesting  study.  In 
nothing,  however,  is  this  more  true  than  in  those  relig- 
ious changes  through  which  it  passes.  The  sudden 
change  of  feeling  toward  the  apostles  would  seem  strange 
indeed  were  it  not  repeated  so  often  in  the  experience 
of  religious  life.  From  superstitious  reverence  to  the 
bitterest  and  most  deadly  persecution,  and  that  in  a 
single  day  !  Stoned  in  the  same  city  where  but  a  few 
hours  before  you  were  hailed  as  a  god  !  Ah,  this  is  not 
so  unusual,  after  all.  More  than  once  did  this  same 
apostle  encounter  such  fickleness  of  purpose.  At  Melita 
he  is  accounted  first  as  a  murderer,  and  then  as  a  god.  Of 
the  Galatians  he  writes:  "If  it  had  been  possible,  ye 
would  have  plucked  out  your  own  eyes,  and  have  given 
them  to  me.  Am  I  therefore  become  your  enemy,  be- 
cause I  tell  you  the  truth?" 

Such  changes  are  encountered  by  every  religious 
teacher  in  the  prosecution  of  his  work.  The  certainty 
of  their  occurrence  and  the  proper  way  to  meet  them 
constitute  part  of  a  true  preparation  for  religious  service. 


4^4  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

It  IS  not  strange  that  the  emotions  are  so  often  the 
first  to  be  stirred  in  the  beginnings  of  the  religious  life. 
Some  one  has  said  that  the  New  Testament  is  "  sur- 
charged with  emotion."  Certain  is  it,  the  feelings  must 
be  aroused  if  the  truth  ever  seizes  upon  the  life  forces. 
But  none  were  wiser  than  the  apostles  to  lead  the  peo- 
ple from  mere  religious  feeling  to  an  intelligent  faith  in 
Christ.  Natural  temperament  is  no  insurmountable  bar- 
rier here.  The  Gospel  of  Christ  is  designed  not  to  de- 
stroy, but  to  direct  and  control  natural  impulses.  The 
soul  must  be  led  from  all  secondary  causes  and  agencies 
to  Him  who  is  himself  the  truth.  Only  as  it  centers  in 
him  is  it  safe.  A  superstitious  reverence  for  Church  or 
creed,  for  book  or  minister,  cannot  survive  the  tests 
through  which  each  religious  life  must  sooner  or  later 
pass. 

5.  The  Impotency  of  All  Opposition  to  the  Truth  of 
Christ.  The  triumph  of  the  Gospel  was  not  to  be  an 
immediate  or  an  easy  one.  Persecution  followed  and 
follows  the  true  heralds  of  the  cross.  More  than  once 
did  these  early  missionaries,  and  later  ones  too,  have 
occasion  to  remember  their  Master's  words :  "  If  they 
have  persecuted  me,  they  will  also  persecute  you." 
How  often,  as  the  stones  fell  thick  and  fast  upon  the 
apostle's  head  in  the  streets  of  Lystra,  did  the  image  of 
the  suffering  Stephen  pass  before  his  mind.  And  then 
that  memorable  journey  undertaken  for  the  express  pur- 
pose of  destroying  the  early  disciples  I  How  it  came  back 
to  him  as  he  found  himself  suffering  for  the  same  blessed 


WORK  AMONG   THE  GENTILES.  405 

cause !  But  the  powerlessness  of  his  own  opposition 
prepared  him  to  meet  with  courage  the  opposition  he 
found  in  every  place.  The  truth  could  not  be  stoned  to 
death.  Though  seemingly  dead,  it  would  revive  and  go 
boldly  forward  on  its  errand  of  light. 

When  this  first  missionary  tour  was  over,  and  the  apos- 
tle rehearsed  the  story  of  his  labors,  there  was  no  tone 
of  disappointment  in  his  words.  An  effectual  door  for 
the  Gospel  had  been  opened  among  the  Gentiles.  Dis- 
ciples had  been  gathered  in  nearly  every  city.  At  Lys- 
tra,  even,  one  had  become  a  believer  who  was  destined  to 
fill  an  important  place  in  apostolic  history.  The  con- 
version of  Timothy,  which  seems  to  have  taken  place 
on  this  first  visit  to  Lystra,  was  itself  a  signal  trophy  of 
the  apostle's  success. 

Thus  did  this  first  missionary  tour  become  itself  a 
prophecy  of  the  future  triumph  of  the  Gospel.  "  And 
in  his  name  shall  the  Gentiles  trust." 

Raymond  F.  Holway. 


JfOe  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 


XL 
THE  APOSTOLIC  COUNCIL. 

Acts  XV,  12-29. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— Through  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  we 
shall  be  saved,  even  as  they.     Acts  xv,  11. 

Christianity  was  born  in  the  household  of  Judaism. 
It  was  fitting  that  it  should  pay  a  certain  deference  to 
the  rules  of  the  household.  A  pronounced  and  osten- 
tatious opposition  to  Judaism  on  its  part  would  have 
agreed  ill  with  obligation  to  its  own  religious  ancestry, 
and  would  have  been,  besides,  greatly  lacking  in  prudence. 

On  the  other  hand,  Christianity  was  meant  for  the  race. 
In  the  words  of  the  Founder  it  was  unmistakably  char- 
acterized as  a  message  of  glad  tidings  to  all  nations.  As 
its  mission  was  world-wide,  so  also  its  spirit  was  too 
large  and  catholic  to  admit  of  narrow  bounds. 

To  harmonize  these  two  requirements,  to  pay  at  once 
a  suitable  deference  to  its  connection  with  Judaism  and 
to  assert  its  character  as  a  universal  religion,  was  the 
great  problem  which  confronted  Christianity  at  the 
threshold  of  its  career.  No  task  more  delicate  or  more 
difficult  than  this  engaged  the  attention  of  the  apostolic 
Church. 

How  was  the  great  problem  solved  ?  Not  simply  by 
theorizing ;  not  merely  by  the  vote  of  a  conclave.     It 


THE  APOSTOLIC  COUNCIL.  ^07 

was  solved  by  the  providential  method  of  gradual  ad- 
vance. The  logic  of  fact  was  a  conspicuous  element  in 
the  solution.  One  event  after  another  was  utilized  to 
work  toward  a  general  agreement  in  thought  and  feeling. 
Conservatism  was  not  wounded  by  an  abrupt  severance 
from  Judaism.  At  the  same  time  the  vocation  of  the 
new  religion  to  transcend  Jewish  limitations  was  not  de- 
nied. Stage  by  stage  the  Church  advanced  to  a  recog- 
nition of  its  true  position  as  the  herald  of  a  new  and 
broader  dispensation.  The  appointment  of  liberal- 
minded  Hellenists  to  the  office  of  deacons,  the  scatter- 
ing of  the  Church  by  persecution,  the  preaching  of 
Philip  in  Samaria,  the  forming  of  a  new  Christian  center 
at  Antioch,  the  baptism  of  Cornelius  and  his  household 
by  Peter,  the  transforming  of  the  strictest  and  most 
persecuting  Pharisee  into  the  most  liberal  apostle  to  the 
Gentiles,  the  fruits  which  rewarded  the  first  great  mis- 
sionary tour  in  Cyprus  and  Asia  Minor — these  were  so 
many  successive  steps  toward  preparing  an  acknowl- 
edgment of  the  independent  and  universal  character  of 
Christianity.  They  paved  the  way  for  the  consummating 
act,  the  declaration  of  a  relative  freedom  from  Jewish 
restrictions  which  was  passed  by  the  Council  of  Jerusa- 
lem at  the  middle  of  the  century.  Without  the  fore- 
going development  that  declaration  would  have  been 
impossible  or  nugatory. 

A  reverent  mind  will  confess  here  the  leading  of  a  di- 
vine hand.  The  end  was  not  planned  by  human  wisdom. 
The  apostles  themselves  did  not  see  it  clearly  from  the 


Jfi8  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

start.  They  needed  the  outward  demonstration  of  fact 
to  go  with  the  inward  illumination  of  the  Spirit  in  order 
to  become  assured  that  men  could  be  followers  of  Christ 
without  being  made  subjects  of  Moses. 

While  the  events  of  the  score  of  years  which  inter- 
vened between  Pentecost  and  the  council  had  done 
much  toward  dissipating  prejudice  and  enlarging  insight, 
some  who  had  confessed  Christ  were  still  far  from  aban- 
doning their  Jewish  exclusiveness.  In  their  view, 
Paul's  boldness  in  extending  gospel  privileges  to  the 
Gentiles  was  a  dangerous  liberalism,  a  contravention  of 
truth  upon  which  twenty  centuries  had  set  their  seal. 
It  stirred  their  animosity  to  think  that  an  economy 
which  had  come  down  from  heaven  in  the  divine  mani- 
festations of  the  patriarchal  age  and  the  miracles  of  the 
Mosaic  era,  and  which  had  been  so  wonderfully  sustained 
through  the  mutations  of  national  fortune,  should  at 
length  be  set  aside.  The  fervor  with  which  this  party 
insisted  upon  retaining  the  ceremonial  law  disturbed  the 
Christians  at  Antioch  and  threatened  a  disruption  of  the 
Church.  To  meet  the  exigency  the  most  notable  as- 
sembly which  history  mentions  between  the  pentecostal 
gathering  and  the  Council  of  Nicaea  was  convened. 

In  considering  this  assembly  we  may  notice  its  com- 
position, its  decision,  the  grounds  or  motives  of  its  de- 
cision, and  the  lessons  which  are  taught  to  later  times. 

I,  The  Council  of  Jerusalem  was  peculiarly  a  repre- 
sentative assembly.  Grant  that  its  members  came  from 
only  a  few  congregations  and  a  very  limited  stretch  of 


THE  APOSTOLIC  COUNCIL.  Ifid 

territory,   still  it  was  one  of  the  most   comprehensive 
assemblies  ever  convened. 

In  the  persons  of  the  attending  apostles  the  cardinal 
types  of  New  Testament  teaching  were  represented.  No 
direct  mention  is,  indeed,  made  of  John  ;  but  we  gather 
from  Paul's  statement  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Galatians 
(ii,  9)  that  he  was  present  in  Jerusalem  so  as  to  share  in 
the  private  conferences  which  occurred  between  the 
apostles.  This  makes  it  next  to  a  certainty  that  he  was 
a  member  of  the  council.  As  for  Peter  and  James,  they 
were  foremost  actors  in  the  proceedings  of  the  assembly. 
Now  the  line  which  includes  these  four  men  circum- 
scribes the  main  types  of  New  Testament  doctrine.  In 
Paul  you  have  the  opponent  of  legalism  and  the  cham- 
pion of  free  grace,  whose  formula  is  justification  by  faith 
as  opposed  to  a  servile  dependence  upon  works ;  in 
Peter  you  have  the  advocate  of  faith  as  a  principle  of 
triumphant  hope  and  courageous  devotion  ;  in  James, 
the  exponent  of  religion  on  its  practical  side  as  a  rule 
of  conduct ;  in  John,  the  portrayer  of  religion  as  an 
inner  union  with  God  through  the  bond  of  love.  On 
the  special  question  which  engaged  the  attention  of  the 
council  the  position  of  John  has  not  been  definitely  in- 
dicated to  us.  Probably  at  this  stage  it  was  not  remote 
from  that  of  Peter,  who  may  be  regarded  as  occupying 
an  intermediate  place  between  Paul  and  James,  scarcely 
so  ready  to  leap  over  Jewish  restrictions  as  the  former, 
and   less  closely  attached    to    Judaism  in   feeling  and 

practice  than  the  latter. 
18 


I^10  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

The  council  was  also  peculiarly  representative  in  that 
it  included  all  ranks  of  Christians.  Whatever  preroga- 
tives may  have  been  given  to  the  apostles  for  their  excep- 
tional vocation  as  organizers  of  the  Church  in  its  formative 
era,  their  method  of  administration  was  vastly  remote 
from  that  of  a  dictatorship.  In  matters  of  common  con- 
cern they  took  pains  to  elicit  the  collective  verdict  of  the 
Christian  communion.  Accordingly,  the  action  of  the 
Council  of  Jerusalem  is  represented  as  having  been  taken 
with  the  concurrence  of  the  elders  and  the  whole  Church. 

2.  The  decision  of  the  council  may  be  described  as  the 
assertion  in  principle  of  the  independence  of  the  new 
religion,  together  with  charitable  allowances  for  those 
who  were  closely  associated  with  the  old  religion.  By 
declaring  the  Gentiles  exempt  from  the  obligation  of 
circumcision  it  acknowledged  that  in  strictness  the  cere^ 
monial  law  did  not  apply  to  them  at  all.  The  duty  to 
regard  any  part  of  it  became  simply  the  duty  of  broth- 
erly kindness,  which  requires  avoidance  of  needless  oc- 
casions of  offense.  It  was  on  this  ground  that  the  coun* 
cil  deemed  it  fitting  to  enjoin  abstinence  from  meats 
offered  to  idols,  from  blood,  and  from  things  strangled. 
As  James  had  argued,  the  Mosaic  writings  being  read 
weekly  in  every  city,  it  would  be  a  prolific  source  of  scan- 
dal to  many  minds  if  Christians  should  indulge  in  prac- 
tices specially  reprobated  by  those  writings.  The  prohi- 
bition was  a  prudential  measure,  and  therefore  carried 
with  itself  the  tacit  admission  that  under  changed  con- 
ditions its  enforcement  might  be  waived. 


THE  APOSTOLIC  COUNCIL.  1^11 

That  it  should  have  been  thought  necessary  to  inckide 
a  positive  vice  with  the  three  practices  which  were  for- 
bidden as  offensive  to  Jewish  feeling  is  at  first  thought 
a  surprising  fact.  It  may  be  presumed,  however,  that  in 
mentioning  this  vice  the  council  had  reference  to  the  ill- 
instructed  neophyte,  or  to  the  person  who  had  not  yet 
escaped  from  the  entanglements  of  his  former  associations. 
The  occasion  for  the  specification  was  the  appalling  laxity 
of  the  declining  classic  world.  In  the  corrupt  Gentile  so- 
ciety of  that  era  a  deed  of  impurity  that  did  not  violate 
the  marriage  bond  was  reckoned  only  a  trivial  offense. 
The  prevalence  of  slavery  had  helped,  among  other 
causes,  greatly  to  deaden  conscience  on  the  subject. 

3.  If  we  look  for  the  grounds  which  influenced  the 
council  to  declare  for  the  essential  exemption  of  the 
Gentiles  from  the  Mosaic  law,  we  find  three  specially 
prominent — namely,  the  cogent  presentation  of  recent 
facts,  the  citation  of  Old  Testament  prophecy,  and  a 
marked  exhibition  of  magnanimity  on  the  part  of  the  rec- 
ognized champion  of  the  Jewish  interest. 

The  ringing  words  of  Peter  must  have  produced  no 
small  effect  upon  the  assembly.  Recalling  his  ministry 
to  Cornelius  and  his  household,  he  declared  that  God 
had  clearly  indicated  therein  his  equal  favor  to  the  Gen- 
tiles, since  he  had  given  them  his  Holy  Spirit,  had  puri- 
fied their  hearts  by  faith,  and  had  unmistakably  saved 
them  through  the  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  upon 
which  all  alike  must  depend  for  salvation.  Not  less 
must  have  been  the  effect  produced  by  the  recitals  of 


^3  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

Paul  and  Barnabas,  as  they  told  how  their  preaching  in 
Gentile  communities  had  been  favored  with  the  double 
attestation  of  signs  from  heaven  and  manifest  effects 
upon  the  hearts  of  the  people. 

While  the  wide  prospect  which  the  testimonies  of  these 
distinguished  witnesses  had  opened  up  was  in  the  minds 
of  the  audience,  the  thought  arose  that  this  broader  out- 
look was  no  illicit  thing,  that  it  had,  in  fact,  been  antici- 
pated by  the  old  prophets.  This  thought,  too,  was  far 
from  being  fanciful.  It  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
phasesof  prophetic  anticipation  that  it  mounted  ever  and 
anon  above  Jewish  legality  and  exclusiveness,  appre- 
hended a  time  when  a  new  and  more  spiritual  covenant 
should  be  introduced,  and  brought  the  Gentiles  into 
view  as  sharing  with  Israel  the  light  and  blessing  of  di- 
vine revelation.  The  anticipation  may  not  have  been 
very  definite,  and  may  have  been  clothed  in  rather  vague 
language,  still  it  worked  as  a  leaven  in  the  minds  of  the 
prophets.  Selecting  one  among  several  passages  that 
might  have  been  chosen,  James  reminded  the  assembly 
of  the  words  of  Amos  as  indicating  the  extension  of 
God's  gracious  purpose  to  the  Gentiles. . 

The  argument  of  James  was  only  one  part  of  his 
contribution  to  the  decision  of  the  council.  His  exam- 
ple told  for  no  less  than  his  reasoning.  As  head  of  the 
Christian  community  at  Jerusalem,  he  lived  in  the  very 
citadel  of  the  Jewish  interest.  He  was  himself  deeply 
imbued  with  that  interest.  All  the  glimpses  that  we 
have  of  him,  whether  in  the   New  Testament   or  in  the 


THE  APOSTOLIC  COUNCIL.  413 

writings  of  Eusebius,  assure  us  that  he  was  a  man  of  legal 
bias,  and  that  he  held  in  great  reverence  the  historic  in- 
stitutions of  Israel.  He  is  believed  to  have  taken  the 
vow  of  the  Nazarite,  and  to  have  ordered  his  conduct 
after  the  unsparing  rule  of  ascetic  piety.  The  strict 
Judaizers  looked  to  him  as  their  standard-bearer.  That 
in  the  face  of  all  this  he  gave  his  voice  in  behalf  of  lib- 
erality, and  declared  against  troubling  the  Gentiles,  was 
a  notable  instance  of  magnanimity.  Its  influence  in 
uniting  the  assembly  upon  a  common  policy  must  have 
been  potent. 

4.  In  describing  the  characteristics  of  the  council  and 
the  elements  which  entered  into  its  decision,  we  have 
already  indicated  in  large  part  i/ie  lessons  which  come  to 
us  from  this  great  historic  scene. 

We  are  reminded  that  the  proper  idea  of  church  gov- 
ernment is  not  that  of  prelate  or  vicegerent  speaking 
like  an  absolute  monarch  from  the  throne,  but  rather 
that  of  an  assembly  representative  of  the  whole  religious 
fraternity,  and  seeking  to  elicit  and  to  formulate  its  col- 
lective wisdom  and  will. 

Again,  we  are  taught  to  value  the  spiritual  as  opposed 
to  the  ceremonial  conception  of  religion.  As  Peter 
argued  before  the  council,  the  possession  of  the  Spirit 
and  the  corresponding  fruits  is  a  valid  token  and  seal  of 
God's  favor,  before  which  artificial  distinctions  must  pass 
out  of  sight.  The  action  of  the  council  reflected  this  sen- 
timent. Those,  therefore,  who  judge  by  the  ceremonial 
standard,  who  disfellowship  devout  and  Christ-like  men 


41J^  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

because  they  have  not  received  a  specific  ceremonial 
mark,  or  disparage  their  Christian  standing  because  they 
are  outside  of  certain  ecclesiastical  lines,  place  them- 
selves in  glaring  contrast  with  this  assembly  of  primitive 
Christians.  They  associate  themselves  with  the  most 
prejudiced  of  the  Pharisaic  Judaizers  rather  than  with 
the  apostolic  group. 

Finally  we  have  a  striking  lesson  as  to  the  precious 
results  of  a  true-hearted  consultation  for  the  interests  of 
peace.  With  more  of  the  pugilistic  and  less  of  the  for- 
bearing spirit,  the  council  would  have  ended  in  strife 
and  division.  By  holding  to  principle,  and  respecting  at 
the  same  time  the  scruples  of  those  who  were  bound  by 
ancestral  customs,  the  leaders  of  the  assembly  were  able 
to  unite  the  contending  parties,  and  to  lay  down  a  plat- 
form admirably  suited  to  an  era  of  difficult  transition. 
This  successful  consultation  for  the  peace  of  the  Church 
doubtless  helped  to  foster  the  cheerful  conviction  of  the 
council  that  it  had  been  blessed  with  the  presence  and 
aid  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  expression,  "  It  seemed 
good  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  to  us,"  is  more  properly 
understood  of  the  confidence  and  satisfaction  of  the  coun- 
cil in  the  result  of  its  deliberations  than  as  a  declaration 

of  official  infallibility. 

H.  C.  Sheldon. 


THE  BIRTH  OF  CHRIST.  Jtl5 


XIII* 
THE  BIRTH  OF  CHRIST. 

Luke  ii,  8-20. 

GOLDEN    TEXT.  — Behold,  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy. 

Luke  ii,  10. 

FarraR,  in  his  Life  of  Christ,  has  said  of  Palestine 
as  a  war  ground  :  "  This  land  has  glittered  with  the 
lances  of  the  Amalekites  ;  it  has  trembled  under  the 
chariot  wheels  of  Sesostris ;  it  has  echoed  with  the 
twanging  bow-strings  of  Sennacherib ;  it  has  been  trod- 
den by  the  phalanxes  of  Macedonia  ;  it  has  clashed  with 
the  broadswords  of  Rome  ;  it  has  rung  with  the  battle- 
cry  of  the  crusaders ;  it  has  thundered  with  the  artillery 
of  England  and  France."  The  lesson  narrates  a  beauti- 
ful contrast  to  all  this.  We  see,  not  a  battle-field,  but  a 
pasture  ;  not  soldiers,  but  shepherds.  We  hear,  not  the 
blast  of  trumpets  and  shouts  of  warriors,  but  a  celestial 
choir.  We  are  taken,  not  to  a  redoubt,  but  a  manger. 
We  find,  not  a  dying  soldier  or  grim  general,  but  a  living 
babe.  The  scene  is  not  Palestine  in  war,  but  Bethlehem, 
"the  house  of  bread,"  announcing  "Peace  on  earth!" 
Bethlehem — to  the  Christian  the  holiest  spot  on  earth. 
It  was  here  that  Rachel  died  and  Ruth  gleaned  after  the 
reapers  of  Boaz.     Here   David  kept  his  father's  flocks 

*  No  homily  is  given  for  Lesson  XII,  which  is  a  review. 


416  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

and  was  anointed  King  of  Israel,  Here,  says  Stanley, 
stood  the  "  Tower  of  Shepherds,"  and  dwelt  the  prophet 
Amos.  Here  Jeremiah  foretold  the  coming  of  "the 
Lord  our  righteousness.  But  none,  nor  all,  of  these  have 
given  us  Bethlehem.  The  angels  might  have  met  the 
shepherds  and  had  some  other  message,  and  the  place 
now  be  forgotten.  But  this  "  house  of  bread  "  as  Christ's 
birthplace  has  become  immortal. 

I.  The  Angel  to  the  Shepherds.  There  was  a  great 
city  only  six  miles  away ;  there  were  in  it  palaces  that 
held  the  representatives  of  the  Caesars,  a  splendid  tem- 
ple, and  sumptuous  houses.  In  that  city  were  many 
distinguished  circles — the  Roman  tribunal,  the  Jewish 
Sanhedrin,  the  Jewish  Church,  the  sect  of  Pharisee,  Sad- 
ducee,  and  Essene,  the  schools  of  Hillel  and  Gamaliel. 
Why  did  the  angel  come  to  this  little  village  and  to  the 
shepherds  ? 

Bethlehem  had  but  a  manger  for  a  Messiah,  but  that 
was  better  than  a  prison  or  a  cross,  and  Jerusalem  was 
in  danger  of  furnishing  the  latter.  And  there  was  noth- 
ing arbitrary  in  the  selection  of  the  shepherds.  The 
choicest  divine  revealings  have  never  come  first  to  those 
imbedded  in  sect  or  party  or  society  circles.  The  recep- 
tive souls,  the  children,  the  devout  women,  the  fisher- 
men, the  shepherds,  get  the  clearer  vision  and  the  higher 
message.  It  is  the  pure  in  heart,  not  the  keen  in 
thought,  nor  the  mighty  in  intellect,  nor  the  maker  or 
upholder  of  systems,  who  has  the  promise  of  seeing  God. 
So  the  angel  passed  by  a  Caesar,  an  Annas — Rome  and 


THE  BIRTH  OF  CHRIST.  417 

Jerusalem — and  came  to  those  unprejudiced,  meditating 
men  on  the  plains  of  Bethlehem.  This  is  a  part  of  the 
truth  we  need.  Abraham  leaving  Ur,  Moses  in  Midian, 
David  feeding  his  flocks,  Elijah  at  Horeb,  John  the  Bap- 
tist in  the  wilderness,  Paul  in  Arabia,  John  at  Patmos, 
join  with  these  shepherds  in  their  silent  watches  at  Beth- 
lehem in  teaching  us  that  heaven's  messages  to  earth  need 
solitude  rather  than  society,  receptivity  more  than  con- 
troversy. 

2.  T/ie  Message.  The  messenger  came  to  but  a  few ; 
he  brought  a  message  of  "  good  tidings  to  all  people." 
This  had  been  the  Messianic  hope.  However  crude  or 
material  their  notion  of  the  coming  One,  the  devout  Jew 
believed  he  was  to  be  a  joy,  and  his  blessing  to  reach  to 
all.  But  this  is  an  unmeasurably  larger  message  to  us 
than  to  them.  An  earthly  leader,  a  palace  to  shelter  him, 
a  court  to  bow  down  to  him,  an  army  to  support  him,  the 
Jewish  nation  supreme,  the  Jewish  Church  strengthened — 
that  was  the  best  they  could  interpret  this  message.  So 
the  shepherds  must  have  been  puzzled  over  the  an- 
nouncement :  "  You  shall  find  a  babe  in  a  manger."  Was 
he  not  to  be  called  Wonderful,  Counselor,  Mighty  God, 
Everlasting  Father,  Prince  of  Peace  ?  A  king,  not  a 
pauper,  a  throne,  not  a  manger,  was  their  ideal.  And  if 
they  had  relied  now  on  their  traditions  or  their  selfish 
ambitions  they  would  have  stayed  with  their  flocks ;  but 
they  were  men  of  faith.  "  And  suddenly  there  was  with 
the  angel  a  multitude;"  "a  multitude  of  the  heavenly 

host  praising  God,  and  saying,  Glory  to  God  in  the  high- 

18* 


J^18  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

est,  and  on  earth  peace  among  men  in  whom  he  is  well 
pleased."  Heaven's  chorus  did  more  for  them  than 
earth's  logic.  Lange  calls  this  the  first  Gospel,  and  the 
shepherds  accepted  it.  That  song  was  an  appropriate 
casket  for  this  gospel  jewel,  but  we  are  to  remember  it 
was  only  that.  Had  the  shepherds,  dazzled  with  this 
manifestation,  forgotten  the  message,  our  Christianity 
would  have  lost  something  of  its  symmetry  and  strength. 
Here  is  a  thought  for  us.  We  are  glad  of  this  miracu- 
lous setting  for  this  Gospel.  Well  has  Phillips  Brooks 
said  that  the  marvel  is  not  that  miracles  attended  the 
coming  and  the  work  of  Christ ;  rather  would  it  be  strange 
if  such  a  One  should  come  without  something  of  this  kind  ; 
but  we  are  not  to  let  the  miracle  overshadow  the  mes- 
sage. 

The  Gospel  the  angels  brought  is  more  vital  to  us 
than  themselves  ;  the  truth  they  gave  than  their  method 
of  giving  it.  The  kingdom  of  God  is  within,  and  the 
final  appeal  must  be  not  to  miracle,  nor  tradition,  not  to 
any  form  of  external  authority,  but  the  receptive,  rational 
soul. 

3.  The  Babe.  "  Let  us  now  go  even  unto  Bethlehem." 
The  wise  men  came  later;  but  the  first  to  greet  the 
Saviour  were  the  shepherds.  We  are  glad  the  wise  men 
came.  Christianity  is  broader  and  deeper  than  all 
humanity.  It  came  to  meet  the  philosopher  as  well  as 
peasant,  Dives  as  well  as  Lazarus  ;  but  the  first  welcome 
from  the  shepherds  was  prophetical  of  all  Christianity. 
The  wise  men  brought  gifts;  but  they  were  products  of 


THE  BIRTH  OF  CHRIST.  4^9 

earth.  The  shepherds  brought  a  flash  of  the  glory  which 
Christ  had  with  the  Father,  a  strain  from  the  song 
around  the  throne,  a  message  that  meant  infinitely  more 
than  gold  and  frankincense  and  myrrh.  It  is  not  the 
last  time  the  shepherds  have  contributed  to  Christianity 
more  than  the  wise  men.  Our  faith  to-day  rests  upon 
what  the  simple,  loyal,  loving  soul  brings  to  its  support 
far  more  than  some  of  us  as  philosophers  and  theologians 
are  ready  to  admit.     "  They  found  the  babe." 

Why  this  lowly  birth  in  the  hush  of  night  among 
strangers;  the  manger  instead  of  the  throne;  and  after 
this  the  carpenter-shop  instead  of  palace  halls  ?  Per- 
haps we  need  the  truth  pressed  to-day  that  environment 
is  not  all  of  life.  The  Christ  came  in  the  line  of  descent, 
on  the  human  side,  from  the  best  blood  of  the  world  ; 
but  he  came  with  surroundings  so  humble  and  life  so 
simple  that  we  still  almost  wonder  if  Bethlehem  and 
Nazareth  were  best.  But  each  Christmas-time  adds  its 
testimony  to  confirm  the  everlasting  wisdom  of  the  man- 
ner of  Christ's  advent.  The  mystery  of  the  babe  is 
more  than  compensated  for  by  the  ministry  of  the  babe. 
"They  wondered,  but  Mary  pondered."  Three  classes 
gathered  about  that  manger,  and  their  tendencies  have 
been  perpetuated.  Herod  would  destroy,  the  shepherds 
were  ready  to  receive,  but  Mary  went  beyond  them ;  she 
would  build  out  of  all  this  a  fabric  of  faith,  a  temple  of 
life.  Destructive,  receptive,  constructive — these  are  the 
bearings  of  humanity  toward  this  new  religion.  To 
seek    the   young  child's  life — that  is   the   great   heresy. 


4^0  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

But  to  wonder  is  not  enough.  The  spectacular,  the 
ceremonial,  the  ritualistic — these  may  help  in  certain 
stages  of  human  development  our  approach  to  Christ, 
but  they  may  also  tend  to  hide  him.  Not  till  we  stand 
by  Mary's  side,  in  this  great  cradle  scene,  with  Mary  in 
her  purity,  her  divine  experiences,  her  spirit  of  thought- 
fulness,  not  understanding  all,  but  pondering,  shall  we  be 
best  equipped. 

4.  The  Return.  Angels  had  come  to  these  men  ;  how 
could  they  think  of  sheep  ?  They  had  been  introduced  to 
the  Messiah,  how  could  they  go  back  to  their  earth-work  ? 
They  had  been  honored  with  a  concert  from  the  celes- 
tial choir — a  Gospel  from  heaven  ;  must  they  not  re- 
pudiate their  old  life?  But  "they  returned."  There 
was  to  be  the  same  careful  watching  of  flocks,  the  same 
wearying  and  humble  round  of  duties  as  before.  They 
returned,  but  not  the  same.  They  came  to  that  man- 
ger wondering  and  doubting ;  they  went  away  from  it 
"  glorifying  and  praising  God  for  all  they  had  seen  and 
heard." 

Perhaps  here  is  the  choicest  truth  in  this  lesson  for  us. 
The  life  that  will  meet  Christ  now  as  those  about  that 
manger  met  him  will  have  a  new  vision  and  will  hear  a 
new  message.  There  will  be  much  to  wonder  about, 
much  to  ponder  over,  for  humanity  cannot  yet  compass 
divinity.  But  after  all  this  there  will  still  have  to  be  the 
return  to  farm  and  store,  shop  and  school.  Earth's  toil 
and  trial  will  press  upon  us,  but  we  may  go  back  to  these 
praising  God.     There  can  come  in  the  field  as  surely  as  in 


THE  BIRTH  OF  CHRIST.  1,21 

the  temple,  to  the  shop  as  truly  as  at  the  altar,  the 
divine  message  and  leading.  Christ  in  the  manger  and 
Christ  in  the  carpenter-shop  has  made  sacred  the  things 
called  secular,  and  has  made  nothing  sacred  in  work  or 
worship  that  has  not  the  spirit  of  "  peace  on  earth,  good- 
will to  men  "  in  it. 

We  have  in  this  lesson,  this  strangely  beautiful  story, 
only  the  opening  scene  of  a  great  drama,  the  first  touches 
of  a  great  picture,  the  first  flashes  of  a  great  light.  Per- 
haps it  needs  the  closing  act,  the  last  touches,  the  sunset 
splendor  to  fully  comprehend  the  Golden  Text ;  but  from 
that  Christmas-time  until  this  there  has  never  been  a 
doubt  that  the  birth  of  Christ  has  been  "  good  tidings 

of  great  joy." 

John  Faville. 


BOSTON  HOMILIES. 


XIII* 
A  LESSON  IN  SELF-DENIAL. 

Rom.  xiv,  12-23. 

GOLDEN  TEXT.— We  then  that  are  strong  ought  to  bear  the  in- 
firmities of  the  weak.^Rom.  xv,  i. 

Self-denial  is  the  first  step  in  Christian  discipleship. 
To  be  worthy  it  must  have  some  worthy  motive.  To 
throw  away  the  food  which  one  needs,  and  for  which  one 
is  hungry,  may  be  called  penance ;  it  is  not  self-denial. 
To  give  the  food  one  longs  to  put  to  his  lips  to  another 
soul  hungry  and  in  need  is  true  denial  of  self;  it  is  a 
brotherly  going  without  that  to  which  one  has  a  right  in 
deference  to  the  weakness  or  need  of  another. 

Christ  was  preached  by  the  apostles  and  accepted  by 
people  so  widely  differing  that  their  religious  lives  had 
hitherto  had  little  in  common.  They  came  into  the  new 
faith  cumbered  with  prejudices  and  customs  which  long 
use  made  it  difficult  to  throw  aside.  The  Jew  held  fast 
to  circumcision,  and  some — perhaps,  of  the  Platonizing 
Gentiles — holding  all  evil  to  be  rooted  in  the  flesh,  could 
allow  only  a  vegetable  diet.  They  could  not  believe  in 
the  spirituality  of  Christian  flesh-eaters,  and  felt  that  their 
pernicious  example  would  lead  astray  the  young  and  the 
weak. 

*  This  temperance  lesson  is  optional  with  the  Christmas  lesson  for  December 
25,  1892. 


A  LESSON  IN  SELF-DENIAL.  ^23 

Paul  has  no  sympathy  with  their  view  of  the  harmful- 
ness  of  meats,  yet  he  sees  that  it  is  not  wise  to  argue 
with  them.  They  have  accepted  Christ  in  good  faith, 
but  if  their  prejudices  be  offended  before  enHghtenment 
comes,  they  for  whom  Christ  died  may  be  forever  lost  to 
his  fold.  He  at  once  declares  his  own  purpose  of  self- 
denial  :  "  If  meat  make  my  brother  to  offend,  I  will  eat 
no  meat  while  the  world  standeth."  He  also  puts  the 
spirit  of  his  own  act  into  a  saying  which  makes  clear  the 
duty  of  Christ's  men  every-where  until  now :  "  It  is 
good  neither  to  eat  flesh,  nor  to  drink  wine,  nor  any 
thing  whereby  thy  brother  stumbleth,  or  is  offended,  or 
is  made  weak." 

This  noble  principle  has  many  possible  applications 
in  every  one's  life.  Take  the  question  of  amusements. 
One  enjoys  games  of  chance.  Some  of  these  are  most 
frequently  associated  with  gambling.  It  is  certain  that 
many  have  been  led  astray  by  their  knowledge  and  love 
of  such  games.  It  is  not  prejudice  that  leads  the  intel- 
ligent Christian  to  forsake  these  pastimes,  but  a  high  re- 
gard for  the  influence  of  one's  example. 

The  theater  has  many  defenders.  Let  all  that  is  said 
for  it  be  granted.  Still  it  is  true  that  many  have  been 
corrupted  by  it.  Young  girls,  attracted  by  the  glare  of 
stage  life,  have  lost  their  love  of  home,  of  quiet,  of  re- 
ligion, and  of  virtue.  The  most  respectable  theaters 
will  at  times  corrupt  their  constituency  by  outbreaking 
sins  in  the  shape  of  the  worst  plays.  A  great  act- 
ress is  eagerly  caught  up  even  although  her  chosen  role 


4^4  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

is  a  realistic  representation  of  crimes  of  which  people 
should  not  even  think.  One  may  justify  the  theater  nine 
times  out  of  ten,  but  because  in  the  tenth  instance  a 
brother  is  made  weak,  one  may  wisely  deny  himself  and 
stay  away. 

Many  positions  have  been  taken  by  earnest  advocates 
of  temperance  which  are  disputed  by  its  sincere  friends. 
They  have  felt  that  a  good  cause  is  weakened  by  claim- 
ing as  true  that  which  is  yet  in  honest  and  learned  dis- 
pute. It  cannot  be  positively  said  that  the  wine  used  at 
the  marriage  in  Cana  was  unfermented.  Is  alcohol  always 
a  poison,  and  never  a  good  to  the  human  system?  It  is 
not  yet  safe  to  pledge  our  great  cause  to  this  affirmation. 
Is  a  moderate  use  of  wine  or  beer  always  harmful  to  the 
person  who  uses  it  ?  In  the  face  of  so  much  honest  and 
intelligent  denial  we  do  not  commend  our  reform  by 
blazoning  this  upon  its  flag  and  condemning  all  who 
deny. 

Strong  drink  is  the  source  or  occasion  of  three-fourths 
of  the  crime  and  poverty  to  be  found  in  Christian  lands. 
Here  is  a  fact  to  which  personal  observation  and  careful 
statistics  bear  witness.  One  other  position  will  not  be 
denied  by  any  who  have  the  spirit  of  Christ.  We  who 
are  strong  ought  to  deny  ourselves  because  of  the  weak- 
ness of  others. 

The  great  influence  of  social  custom  may  be  seen  by 
any  who  will  give  it  a  little  thought.  It  has  often  the 
strength  of  despotism  in  its  compelling  or  restraining 
voice.     Many  customs  which  have  no  legal,  moral,  or 


A  LESSON  IN  SELF-DENIAL.  J^SS 

reasonable  force  we  would  no  sooner  break  than  the 
moral  law  itself. 

The  force  of  example  is  greater  in  what  one  does  than 
in  what  one  merely  refrains  from  doing.  A  boy  who 
lights  a  cigar  sets  an  example  in  a  stronger  sense  than 
those  about  him  who  merely  refrain  from  smoking.  So 
the  influence  of  one  who  puts  wine  on  her  table  is  the 
more  forceful,  since  it  can  be  quoted  as  a  positive  act. 
A  single  doing  of  that  which  we  do  not  usually  allow 
may  be  noted  and  remembered  as  if  characteristic  of  our 
whole  lives. 

This  should  make  us  very  careful.  There  are  times 
when  wine  is  put  before  us  at  public  or  social  tables,  and 
one's  modest  fear  of  being  conspicuous  is  a  strong  reason 
for  indulging  once.  We  should  then  reflect  that,  so  far 
as  influence  is  concerned,  it  may  not  be  once,  but  forever. 

A  Christly  regard  for  our  weak  brother  will  lead  us  to 
shield  him  from  the  temptations  with  which  others 
would  lead  him  astray,  A  mere  teetotaller  is  not  a 
great  helper  of  the  temperance  cause  in  these  days. 

The  apathy  of  the  temperate  and  the  appetite  of  the 
intemperate  are  the  upper  and  nether  millstones  be- 
tween which  is  ground  out  to-day  the  fine  flour  of  human 
misery.  The  whole  of  self-denial  leads  one  to  positive 
endeavor  in  the  suppression  of  intemperance. 

We  are  proud  that  the  privilege  of  choosing  our  legis- 
lators and  executives  is  our  own.  We  celebrate  the 
bravery  of  our  fathers  in  fighting  for  it,  but  really  the 
task  of  doing  it  is  irksome  to  us.     And  of  good  people 


^26  BOSTON  HOMILIES. 

who  profess  to  do  their  political  duty  the  greater  num- 
ber leave  the  larger  part  undone. 

It  is  not  enough  to  cast  the  ballot  ;  somebody  must 
prepare  the  ballot.  It  is  not  enough  to  vote  "Yes  "  or 
"  No  "  on  questions  presented  ;  somebody  must  present 
questions.  It  is  not  enough  to  discuss  issues  that  may 
now  be  before  the  public  mind ;  somebody  must  make 
issues  of  matters  that  are  vital.  There  has  always  been  a 
disposition  to  keep  moral  questions  out  of  politics.  We 
can  frame  a  good  excuse  for  it.  But  if  moral  questions 
excite  no  interest  outside  of  politics  put  them  into  it  by 
all  means. 

Why  should  I  shout  myself  hoarse  when  the  only 
question  is  whether  Tad  or  Tim — both  good  fellows — 
shall  be  alderman.  But  if  my  torch  can  help  to  illumi- 
nate some  great  moral  question,  and  my  shouting  find  the 
ears  of  the  morally  deaf,  then  I'll  cheerfully  do  my  part 
in  any  demonstration.  Christian  citizens  should  "  go 
into  politics."  They  often  have  been  in,  but  usually 
only  a  little  way.  Let  them  now,  with  higher  motives, 
go  in  as  wholly  as  other  men. 

There  are  three  tribunals  before  which  a  man's  life 
may  be  held  accountable.  He  may  be  brought  to  trial 
before  his  fellow-men  representing  some  civil,  social,  or 
religious  government ;  in  a  very  real  sense  he  may  ex- 
amine and  judge  himself;  and  in  the  end  of  the  world 
there  is  a  judgment  before  God.  Now,  the  first  of  these 
is  very  limited  in  its  reach.  It  can  question  fully  a 
man's  acts  and  words.     It  can  sometimes  go  a  little  way 


A   LESSON  IN  SELF-DENIAL.  J^l 

into  his  motives,  but  the  great  world  of  his  thought  and 
desire  is  beyond  its  reach. 

Self-judgment  has  to  do  with  all  these.  Conscience  is 
the  voice  of  God  in  the  heart  because  its  eye  is  spiritual 
and  takes  notice  of  the  motive  rather  than  the  act. 

Paul  tells  us  that  if  we  would  be  sure  of  living  right 
before  our  fellows  we  are  to  judge  ourselves.  We  may 
in  the  exercise  of  our  natural,  civil,  or  church  rights  do 
a  harm  to  our  brother.  Our  conduct  is  legitimate,  so 
far  as  men  can  judge  it.  It  is  wrong  before  God.  It  is 
unchristian  before  the  eye  of  our  enlightened  conscience, 
because  it  is  a  stumbling-block  to  our  weak  brother. 

So  we  are  to  examine  constantly  our  conduct  at  the 
bar  of  this  inner  and  high  tribunal,  that  we  may  know  its 
influence  as  well  as  its  rightfulness.  Happy  is  he  who, 
searching  his  own  motives  as  God  will  search  them,  con- 
demneth  not  himself  in  that  which  he  alloweth. 

J.  Weare  Dearborn. 


